Seedling Tray Research Articles

A high-throughput method for monitoring growth of lettuce seedlings in greenhouses based on enhanced Mask2Former

Monitoring plant growth is crucial for cultivation management. Agronomists can assess the health status of lettuce seedlings based on monitoring results to implement relevant management measures for improving the quality and yield of lettuce seedlings. This study developed a non-destructive, high-throughput growth monitoring method suitable for large-scale assessment of lettuce seedling quality in nurseries. The method utilizes a plant high-throughput phenotyping platform to acquire 10-day time-series imagery data. An Mask2Former network model enhanced by multidimensional collaborative attention mechanism, combined with sliding window and morphological operations, achieves precise recognition and localization of seedling trays, varieties, and individual seedling plants in a progressive manner. Based on individual seedling localization and segmentation results, the method estimates emergence numbers and rates for each variety, and further achieves instance segmentation and counting of individual seedling leaves, innovatively constructing leaf segmentation results of different varieties across the entire seedling tray. Applied to time-series images, the method automatically monitored seedling emergence changes and growth trends for 1,086 lettuce varieties. In monitoring these varieties, the method achieved a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.96 for emergence number estimation. The extraction of all six key phenotypic parameters demonstrated exceptionally high correlations: projected area, projected perimeter, convex hull area, and convex hull perimeter all showed R2 above 0.99, while leaf compactness R2 was 0.9698, and leaf count R2 was 0.91. Results demonstrate that this high-throughput, reliable method can effectively monitor the growth status of large-scale lettuce seedlings and provide technical support for lettuce nursery quality assessment.

The simplification and analytical verification of the static liquid bridge force model for particle adhesion in inferior seedling substrates

This study examines the adhesion mechanism in varying water contents of inferior seedling substrate blocks, focusing on the adhesion between particles‒particles and particles‒wall of the seedling tray. A simplified static liquid bridge force model based on the Young–Laplace equation is proposed. The correlation between the liquid bridge force and volume is derived and validated against existing experimental. The results indicate that the static liquid bridge force between particles decreases as the distance increases. A critical distance region is identified, where below this distance, a smaller liquid bridge volume results in a greater static liquid bridge force, and beyond this, the trend reverses, except when the solid–liquid contact angle is 50°. Additionally, the solid‒liquid contact angle has a minimal influence on the liquid bridge force between the particles and the inner sidewall of the seedling tray. This study also analyses the change in critical rupture distance during the transition of liquid bridges from pendulum to ring rope type, and this change increases with the liquid bridge volume.

Assessment of sensor-based automatic smart watering unit for paddy nurseries under Indian perspective

A sensor-based automatic watering unit was developed to irrigate the paddy seedling trays. The watering unit comprised six flat spray nozzles with a direct current (DC) water pump and flow sensor, and these were kept at the top of the conveyor frame, which was actuated by a DC water pump with a solenoid valve to drop the water in trays. The actuation of the DC solenoid valve was controlled by a limit switch fitted to the conveyor frame, which sensed the moving trays on the conveyor. The performance of the developed unit was evaluated, and process optimization was performed using the Inscribed Central Composite Design in Response Surface Methodology. The effect of main operating parameters- chain conveyor speed (0.123, 0.196, and 0.27 m/s), spray operating pressure (1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 kg/cm2), and spray height (10,30 and 50 cm) on the performance of the sensor-based automatic watering unit was studied in terms of the amount of water spray requirement and coefficient of water spray uniformity in trays. The responses of the unit at its optimal parameter operation (spray operating pressure 4.5 kg/cm2, spray height 10 cm, and chain conveyor speed 0.14 m/s) were found to be 1.31 L/tray as the amount of water spray requirement and 92.41 % as the coefficient of water spray uniformity of the unit. Hence, it can be an efficient substitute with significantly less power consumption 41 W with a higher working capacity of 780 trays/h for watering into the paddy tray nursery. The developed sensor-based automatic smart watering unit saves irrigation water per square area of 68.90 %, 76.13 %, and 82.31 % compared to existing drip, sprinkler, and flood irrigation methods in mat-type paddy nurseries. The developed sensor-based automatic smart watering unit saves the watering cost INR 11,567.16 (140.02 USD) per hectare, reducing cost by 63.7 % compared to manual watering in the mat-type nursery preparation. Thus, an automatic smart watering unit in a paddy tray nursery offers consistent and uniform watering from an Indian perspective, promoting uniform germination, crop growth, and establishment. It conserves water by ensuring the right amount of water is applied at the right time, avoiding overwatering or under-watering.

Design and Experimental Study of a Traction Double-Row Automatic Transplanter for Solanum Lycopersicum Seedlings

The most important part of fruit cultivation is transplanting, which can be completed efficiently by an automatic transplanter. In this study, an automatic solanum lycopersicum transplanter was developed. It is primarily composed of the following devices: a seedling tray fixator, a mechanical transplanting arm, double horizontal driving modules, double vertical driving cylinders, a seedling separation device, double-crank five-bar planting devices, a power distribution system, and a PLC control system. An experimental test on an automatic transplanter was carried out on dry land. The experimental results showed that when the planting frequency was 80 plants/(min·row), the transplanting success rate was 93.89%, the missed planting rate was 1.58%, the replanting rate was 0.65%, the lodging rate was 1.94%, and the exposed seedling rate was 1.94%. Each device of the automatic transplanter was coordinated to complete the transplanting process. The automatic transplanter met the operation requirements, and it not only transplanted in dry land but also provided a theoretical basis for fruit cultivation in solar greenhouses in the future.

Sustainable seedling pots: Development and characterisation of banana waste and natural fibre-reinforced composites for horticultural applications

Plastic pots used in horticultural nurseries generate substantial waste, causing environmental pollution. This study aimed to develop biodegradable composites from banana pseudo-stem reinforced with agricultural residues like pineapple leaves, taro and water hyacinth as eco-friendly substitutes. The aim of this study is to develop optimised banana biocomposite formulations with suitable reinforcements that balance mechanical durability, biodegradation, and seedling growth promotion properties to serve as viable eco-friendly alternatives to plastic seedling pots. This study was carried out by fabricating banana fibre mats through pulping, drying and hot pressing. Composite sheets were reinforced with 50 % pineapple, taro or water hyacinth fibres. The mechanical properties (tensile, yield strength, elongation, bursting strength), hydrophilicity (contact angle, water absorption), biodegradability (soil burial test), and seedling growth promotion were evaluated through appropriate testing methods. The results show that banana-taro composites exhibited suitable tensile strength (25 MPa), elongation (27 %), water uptake (41 %) and 82 % biodegradation in 60 days. It was observed that biodegradable seedling trays fabricated from banana-taro composite showed 95 % tomato seed germination and a 125 cm plant height increase in 30 days, superior to plastic trays. The finding shows that the study demonstrates the potential of banana-taro biocomposites as alternatives to plastic nursery pots, enabling healthy seedling growth while eliminating plastic waste pollution through biodegradation.

Mechanical Characteristics Testing and Parameter Optimization of Rapeseed Blanket Seedling Conveying for Transplanters

Rapeseed blanket seedling transplanters have developed rapidly due to their high efficiency and adaptability to the soil in many areas of China. However, during the transplanter’s longitudinal seedling conveying process, seedling blanket compression leads to inaccurate conveying and thus declined seedling picking performance. In this paper, a mechanical compression test was carried out on rapeseed seedling blankets. The longitudinal compression force of the rapeseed seedling blanket on a transplanter was calculated through mechanical analysis. A compression model of the rapeseed seedling blanket was established to determine how the blanket’s mechanical characteristics and the device’s structural parameters affect blanket compression. In addition, with the index of longitudinal compression Y1, the coefficient of variation in the longitudinal seedling conveying distance Y2, and the qualified-block-cutting rate Y3, the interactive influence between the seedling tray tilt angle A, the seedling blanket moisture content B, and the seedling blanket thickness C were analyzed using response surface analysis. Aiming to reduce blanket compression and enhance the accuracy of longitudinal seedling conveying and block-cutting quality, the optimized results show that the predicted optimal parameters were a 50.14° seedling tray tilt angle, a 71.86% seedling blanket moisture content, and a 22.13 mm seedling blanket thickness. Using these optimized parameters, the transplanter achieved a blanket longitudinal compression of 18.17 mm, a coefficient of variation in the longitudinal seedling conveying distance of 1.142, and a qualified-block-cutting rate of 90%. Subsequently, a validation test was performed, revealing a high degree of conformity between the optimization model and the experimental data. Thus, the predicted optimal parameters can provide significantly reduced compression and a high seedling conveying performance. The results of this study provide theoretical and empirical support for the optimized design and operation of mechanized rapeseed blanket seedling transplanting.

One-Time Contact Application of Controlled-Release Urea and Optimized Method Improved Rice Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency with 50% Nitrogen Input

Excessive nitrogen application is a common phenomenon in rice production in China, which will lead to a low nitrogen utilization rate and increase farmers’ production costs. In Jingzhou, Hubei Province, for two consecutive years (2021, 2022), rice was planted with nursery-box total fertilization (NBTF) technology to provide technical support for rice seedling box contact fertilization technology. The results showed that, compared with the conventional treatment, the seedling emergence rate decreased by 7.70–11.87%, but the seedling quality significantly improved and the plant height significantly increased by 4.38–6.06% in the full-heading stage after the aforementioned treatments. The leaf area index significantly increased by 16.75–34.55%, 10.04–19.30%, and 12.13–18.60% in the tiller, booting, and full-heading stages, respectively, whereas the photosynthetic rate significantly increased by 3.80–5.25% in the booting stage. The rice yield under the 50% CRU and 50% CRU + S treatments was the same as that under the FFP treatment. The rice yield under 50% CRU + BT and 50% CRU + BT + S treatments was 7.50–10.61% higher than that under the FFP treatment; nitrogen partial factor productivity increased by 96.15–123.63%. NBTF combined with Boxingtanzhuang (in Chinese) seedling trays showed an increase in yield, whereas normal seedling trays showed a stable yield. It is suggested that the seedling tray and fertilizer should be specialized in the rice seedling box, and the height of the seedling tray should be increased by 3–5 cm. At the same time, special controlled-release urea should be selected to ensure less N release before emergence and improve the seedling emergence rate so as to popularize NBTF technology in a large area.

Evaluation Model of Rice Seedling Production Line Seeding Quality Based on Deep Learning

A critical precondition for realizing mechanized transplantation in rice cultivation is the implementation of seedling tray techniques. To augment the efficacy of seeding, a precise evaluation of the quality of rice seedling cultivation in these trays is imperative. This research centers on the analysis of rice seedling tray images, employing deep learning as the foundational technology. The aim is to construct a computational model capable of autonomously evaluating seeding quality within the ambit of intelligent seedling cultivation processes. This study proposes a virtual grid-based image segmentation preprocessing method. It involves dividing the complete image of a rice seedling tray into several grid images. These grid images are then classified and marked using an improved ResNet50 model that integrates the SE attention mechanism with the Adam optimizer. Finally, the objective of detecting missing seeding areas is achieved by reassembling the marked grid images. The experimental results demonstrate that the improved ResNet50 model, integrating the SE attention mechanism and employing an initial learning rate of 0.01 over 50 iterations, attains a test set accuracy of 95.82%. This accuracy surpasses that of the AlexNet, DenseNet, and VGG16 models by respective margins of 4.55%, 2.07%, and 2.62%. This study introduces an innovative model for the automatic assessment of rice seeding quality. This model is capable of rapidly evaluating the seeding quality during the seedling phase; precisely identifying the locations of missing seeds in individual seedling trays; and effectively calculating the missing seed rate for each tray. Such precision in assessment is instrumental for optimizing seedling processes

Effects of the seedling tray overlapping for seed emergence mode on emergence characteristics and growth of rice seedlings.

Seedling mode plays a crucial role in the rice production process, as it significantly affects the growth and development of seedlings. Among the various seedling modes, the seedling tray overlapping for seed emergence mode (STOSE mode) has been demonstrated to be effective in enhancing seedling quality. However, the impact of this mode on the germination and growth of seeds with varying plumpness remains uncertain. To investigate the effect of the STOSE mode on seedling emergence characteristics, growth uniformity, and nutrient uptake of seeds with varying plumpness levels, we conducted a study using super early rice Zhongzao 39 (ZZ39) as the test material. The seeds were categorized into three groups: plumped, mixed, and unplumped. The results indicated that the STOSE mode significantly improved the seedling rate for all types of seeds in comparison to the seedling tray nonoverlapping for seed emergence mode (TSR mode). Notably, the unplumped seeds exhibited the most pronounced enhancement effect. The soluble sugar content of the seeds increased significantly after 2 days of sowing under the STOSE mode, whereas the starch content exhibited a significant decrease. Furthermore, the STOSE mode outperformed the TSR mode in several aspects including seedling growth uniformity, aboveground dry matter mass, root traits, and nutrient uptake. Overall, the STOSE mode not only promoted the germination and growth of plumped and mixed seeds but also had a more pronounced impact on unplumped seeds.

Design, Integration, and Experiment of Transplanting Robot for Early Plug Tray Seedling in a Plant Factory

In the context of plant factories relying on artificial light sources, energy consumption stands out as a significant cost factor. Implementing early seedling removal and replacement operations has the potential to enhance the yield per unit area and the per-energy consumption. Nevertheless, conventional transplanting machines are limited to handling older seedlings with well-established roots. This study addresses these constraints by introducing a transplanting workstation based on the UR5 industrial robot tailored to early plug tray seedlings in plant factories. A diagonal oblique insertion end effector was employed, ensuring stable grasping even in loose substrate conditions. Robotic vision technology was utilized for the recognition of nongerminating holes and inferior seedlings. The integrated robotic system seamlessly managed the entire process of removing and replanting the plug tray seedlings. The experimental findings revealed that the diagonal oblique-insertion end effector achieved a cleaning rate exceeding 65% for substrates with a moisture content exceeding 70%. Moreover, the threshold-segmentation-based method for identifying empty holes and inferior seedlings demonstrated a recognition accuracy surpassing 97.68%. The success rate for removal and replanting in transplanting process reached an impressive 95%. This transplanting robot system serves as a reference for the transplantation of early seedlings with loose substrate in plant factories, holding significant implications for improving yield in plant factory settings.

Proportion and Performance Optimization of Biomass Seedling Trays Based on Response Surface Analysis

Nursery trays are essential agricultural tools in rice production. Plastic nursery trays pose problems such as resource waste and environmental pollution. Biomass seedling trays are an effective way to achieve sustainable agricultural development. Previous research has been conducted on biomass seedling tray molding equipment and molding process, but the impact of raw material ratio on seedling tray molding quality and seedling growth is still unclear, and the ratio combination still needs further optimization. In this study, we used slurry concentration, pulp content, adhesive content, and the ratio of straw to cow manure as variables. We selected the bowl hole molding rate and the strong seedling index as evaluation indicators, and carried out biomass seedling tray forming experiments and seedling cultivation experiments. The response surface analysis method was used to optimize the raw material ratio of biomass seedling trays from the perspectives of forming effect and seedling quality. The results show that when the slurry concentration is 30%, the pulp content is 20%, the adhesive content is 530 g, and the mass ratio of straw to cow manure is 2:1; the bowl hole molding rate is 91.03%, and the strong seedling index is 0.22, indicating good molding effect and seedling growth. The verification test results indicate that the theoretical analysis results are accurate, and the model fitting is good. These research results provide a theoretical basis for the preparation of biomass seedling trays and technical support for achieving green development in agriculture.

Effect of spacing and biofertilizers on the yield of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc) cv Mahima planted by pro tray seedling method

Effect of spacing and biofertilizers on the yield of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc) cv Mahima planted by pro tray seedling method

Enhanced Productivity of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) by Fermented Cardaba Banana in a Hydroponic Cultivation System

The study entitled “Enhanced Productivity of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) by Fermented Cardaba Banana in a Hydroponic Cultivation System." The study aimed to determine the productivity and financial feasibility of cultivating lettuce using soilless agricultural methods with the supplemental foliar application from the fermented cardaba banana (FCB). The study was analyzed using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) consisting of three (3) blocks and four (4) treatments - FCB – 0, 30, 45, 60. Lettuce seeds were sown in a seedling tray and hardened until it was transplanted (21DAS) in the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). Seven-day interval application of FCB was applied until it was harvested (26 DAT). The data collected the following data - weight at harvest, marketable and non-marketable, yield per cycle, and net income. The results show that FCB-45 (p<0.05) has the highest non-marketable lettuce. On the other hand, FCB-60 (p<0.05) has the highest yield and marketable. Moreover, the FCB-60 shows the highest net income of Php 42,038.51.

Establishment and Maintenance of Brassica Alba and Solanum Lycopersicum on Hydroponic Culture at Laboratory Condition

Hydroponics culture offers immense benefits in plant research, making it a valuable and versatile tool in scientific investigations across plant biology, agronomy, horticulture and diverse fields of research. The present study has been carried out for the establishment of Brassica alba and Solanum lycopersicum on hydroponic culture in laboratory condition. Firstly, an ideal concentration of macro and micro nutrients was developed for both B. alba and S. lycopersicum seedlings. After germination of both seeds, seedling was carefully monitored over a 15-day observation period on seedling tray. Then transfer of two-week-old seedlings to hydroponic media resulted in successful adaptation for both species. B. alba displayed slow initial growth but progressed significantly with robust development in the long run. In contrast, S. lycopersicum adapted quickly and exhibited continuous growth throughout the observation period. By week 4, both species had matured, with B. alba plants showing larger roots and stems and the onset of flowering. Both B. alba and S. lycopersicum seedlings displayed distinct growth patterns in hydroponic culture. These findings contribute valuable insights into the growth dynamics and viability of these two plant species in hydroponic systems, providing important information for optimizing cultivation practices and improving agricultural productivity. J. Bio-Sci. 31(1): 87-98, 2023

A Study on the Optimal Grasping Angle Algorithm for Plug Seedlings Based on Machine Vision

During the replanting operation of a seedling tray, the end-effector needs to repeatedly grab the qualified plug seedlings in the supply tray and release them to the target tray for replanting, and in the process of grasping, the end-effector may cause some mechanical damage to the plug seedlings, thus affecting their quality. Therefore, in order to be able to adjust the position of the hand claw grasping point according to the morphological characteristics of the plug seedlings and select the optimal grasping point, this paper proposes research on the optimal grasping angle algorithm for plug seedlings based on machine vision. Firstly, a rotatable three-jaw end-effector is designed, which uses a three-jaw structure for grasping the burrowing seedlings. The three claws are driven with a telescopic cylinder to carry out clamping and relaxing actions. The rotation of the three claws is controlled with the stepper motor to adjust the optimal grasping position. Secondly, based on the pre-processing of an image of the hole tray seedling, the extraction of feature points in the region of interest, and the calculation of localization, the angle between the angular bisector of the cotyledon leaf blade of the hole tray seedling and the horizontal positive direction is solved. In this paper, two methods are designed to calculate the coordinates of feature points: one is the geometric method and the other is the center-of-mass method. Finally, the optimal grasping angle is calculated by analyzing the angle between the angular bisector of the cotyledon leaf blade and the horizontal positive direction of the cavity seedlings. According to the test, the average calculation error of the proposed algorithm is 3.12 degrees, and the average calculation time is 0.512 sec/sheet, which meet the requirements of the replanting operation.

Key Technologies of Plug Tray Seedling Transplanters in Protected Agriculture: A Review

The process of plug tray seedling transplanting is a crucial step in protected agriculture production. Due to issues such as high labor intensity, poor consistency of work quality, and low efficiency, the application of automated transplanting machines has provided a solution to these issues. For the diversity of transplanting operations, various mechanical structures and technological applications have been developed for automated transplanting equipment. Therefore, this paper provides systematic research of current studies on the key transplanter technologies. Firstly, through an analysis of the types of transplanting operations, the technical requirements of automated transplanting equipment for different operation types are elucidated. Subsequently, the key technologies applied in transplanting machines are discussed from the perspectives of substrate physical characteristics, end effectors, integration of multiple end effectors, vision systems, and transplanting path planning. Moreover, an analysis is conducted on the advantages, disadvantages, and application scenarios of different research methods for each key technology. Lastly, the existing problems and technical difficulties of the transplanting machine are summarized, and future research directions are discussed. This analysis provides a valuable reference for further research and development in the field of transplanting machines for plug tray seedlings.

Digital Twins and Data-Driven in Plant Factory: An Online Monitoring Method for Vibration Evaluation and Transplanting Quality Analysis

The plant factory transplanter is a key component of the plant factory system. Its operation status directly affects the quality and survival rate of planted seedlings, which in turn affects the overall yield and economic efficiency. To monitor the operation status and transplanting quality of a transplanting machine in a timely manner, the primary task is to use a computerized and easy-to-use method to monitor the transplanting units. Inspired by the latest developments in augmented reality and robotics, a digital twin model-based and data-driven online monitoring method for plant factory transplanting equipment is proposed. First, a data-driven and virtual model approach is combined to construct a multi-domain digital twin of the transplanting equipment. Then, taking the vibration frequency domain signal above the transplanting manipulator and the image features of the transplanting seedling tray as input variables, the evaluation method and configuration method of the plant factory transplanter digital twin system are proposed. Finally, the effect of the transplanter is evaluated, and the cycle can be repeated to optimize the transplanter to achieve optimal operation parameters. The results show that the digital twin model can effectively use the sensor data to identify the mechanical vibration characteristics and avoid affecting transplanting quality due to mechanical resonance. At a transplanting rate of 3000 plants/h, the transplanting efficiency can be maintained at a high level and the vibration signal of the X, Y, and Z-axis above the transplanting manipulator is relatively calm. In this case, Combined the optimal threshold method with the traditional Wiener algorithm, the identification rate of healthy potted seedlings can reach 94.3%. Through comprehensively using the optimal threshold method and 3D block matching filtering algorithm for image threshold segmentation and denoising, the recognition rate of healthy seedlings has reached over 96.10%. In addition, the developed digital twin can predict the operational efficiency and optimal timing of the detected transplanter, even if the environmental and sensor data are not included in the training. The proposed digital twin model can be used for damage detection and operational effectiveness assessment of other plant factory equipment structures.

Costs and benefits associated with the adoption of tomato and sweet pepper nursery seed propagation technologies in Arumeru and Mvomero districts in Tanzania

Seed propagation technologies are becoming increasingly popular among vegetable producers in developing countries due to their ability to provide benefits by lowering production costs. We assessed the costs and benefits of seed propagation technology adoption for tomato and sweet pepper production using a partial budget approach for seedling trays or field nursery technologies in the districts of Arumeru and Mvomero in Tanzania. We applied Net Present Value, Cost–Benefit Ratio (CBR) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) to choose the best seed propagation technology that can be adopted by farmers and especially those producing vegetable seedlings as their core business and for commercial purposes. We collected the data using a household survey questionnaire, interviews, and focus group discussions. The results show that switching from field nurseries to seedling trays is economically beneficial by increasing the rate of return value to 3.02, which is greater than one, implying a rate of return of 302 %, which is greater than the costs of new investments. Overall, we can conclude that farmers were less likely to grow vegetable seedlings in seedling trays due to the fact that seedling tray technology was considerably more expensive than field nursery technology. As a result, we recommend that policymakers at all levels of local and central governments promote extension agent training in this technology to promote seedling tray propagation among vegetable farmers and make the technology affordable to farmers in order to increase agricultural productivity, income, and well-being.

A Fast Path Planning Method of Seedling Tray Replanting Based on Improved Particle Swarm Optimization

In the factory nursery, qualified seedlings can be used to replant unqualified seedlings or missing seedlings in the seedling tray through automatic transplanters. Due to the random positions of unqualified and missing seedlings, the end effector of the automatic replanting machine spends substantial time shuttling between the supply tray and the target tray to complete the replanting task. Therefore, we proposed a fast path planning method based on improved particle swarm optimization and compared it with the fixed sequence method and genetic algorithm in experiments with different replanting numbers in different tray types. The experiment shows that the improved particle swarm optimization algorithm and genetic algorithm can shorten the length of the replantation path by about 20% compared with the fixed sequence method, and the running time of the improved particle swarm optimization algorithm is 57.63% less than the genetic algorithm on average. The replanting path optimization method based on improved particle swarm optimization designed in this research can significantly optimize the length and time of the replanting path of the seedling tray, improve the efficiency of the replanting operation, and meet the real-time requirements.

Effect of Degumming Duration on the Behavior of Waste Filature Silk-Reinforced Wheat Gluten Composite for Sustainable Applications.

Silkworm silk proteins are of great importance in several fields of science owing to their outstanding properties. India generates waste silk fibers, also known as waste filature silk, in abundance. Utilizing waste filature silk as reinforcement in biopolymers enhances its physiochemical properties. However, the hydrophilic sericin layer on the surface of the fibers makes it very difficult to have proper fiber-matrix adhesion. Thus, degumming the fiber surface allows better control of the fiber properties. The present study uses filature silk (Bombyx mori) as fiber reinforcement to prepare wheat gluten-based natural composites for low-strength green applications. The fibers were degummed in sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution from a 0 to 12 h duration, and composites were prepared from them. The analysis exhibited optimized fiber treatment duration and its effect on the composite properties. The traces of the sericin layer were found before 6 h of fiber treatment, which interrupted homogeneous fiber-matrix adhesion in the composite. The X-ray diffraction study showed enhanced crystallinity of the degummed fibers. The FTIR study of the prepared composites with degummed fibers showed that shifted peaks toward lower wavenumbers supported better bonding among the constituents. Similarly, the tensile and impact strength of the composite made of 6 h of degummed fibers showed better mechanical properties than others. The same can be validated with the SEM analysis and TGA as well. This study also showed that prolonged exposure to alkali solution reduces the fiber properties, thus reducing composite properties too. As a green alternative, the prepared composite sheets can potentially be applied in manufacturing seedling trays and one-time nursery pots.