Vegetable Transplanter Research Articles

Performance of Cambodia’s made vegetable transplanter for two-wheel tractors under tillage conditions

<p>In Cambodia, vegetable crops are planted by hand, making it hard to meet local market demands. However, this production can be boosted by using a mechanical transplanter with two-wheel tractors to cut input costs, when introduced to farmers, while production and productivity can be accelerated. Thus, this research aimed to (1) evaluate the working performance of a locally made vegetable transplanter against manual planting and (2) compare plant survival rates. The study included fabrication, testing, modification, and experiments with farmers, starting from January 2023 to July 2024. The transplanter was fabricated, tested, and improved by the Royal University of Agriculture. Then, two experiments were carried out with a vegetable farming community in Tram Kak District, Takeo Province, Cambodia. Tomato was selected for the testing, choosing seedlings aged four weeks. The randomized complete block design (RCBD) was applied for both experiments with two treatments, manual planting and transplanter use, replicated four times. The results show that the working performance of the transplanter was six times faster than manual planting. Its speed, total field capacity, and planting rate were 1.03 km/h, 0.052 ha/h, and 27 plants/min, respectively, but missed planting was about 4%. Within-row spacing was similar (0.58 m), while using the transplanter made the plants incline at a steeper angle (63°), but could save 81.9% of time, when compared to manual planting. Both treatments had 100% plant survival rates evaluated one week after the transplanting. In short, using the transplanter can save both time and labor, but further assessment should be made with more kinds of fruit vegetable based on different seedling ages, so that the specifications can be confirmed, which is good for actual adoption for farmers.<strong></strong></p>

Conceptualization and development of a semi-automatic vegetable transplanter prototype for small landholdings

The process of seedling transplantation has significant importance within the realm of mechanical vegetable production in contemporary agriculture. A prototype of a two-row tractor-mounted semi-automatic vegetable seedling transplanter (SVT) was conceptualized and developed for small agricultural holdings. The functional behaviour of the prototype was examined with computer-aided design tools, and the various units of the prototype have been finalized. To develop the prototype, the feeding, metering, transplanting, drive train, and soil compacting/covering unit of the machine were developed and constructed using materials readily accessible locally. The machine has a set row-to-row spacing of 600 mm, and it may alter the plant-to-plant spacing when the machine's forward speed changes. The pace was customized to achieve the required 450 mm plant-to-plant spacing. A 12:1 speed reduction gearbox was used for the proper metering of seedlings. The effect of independent factors, namely tray cell type, feeding mechanism, soil covering/compacting wheel angle, and age of seedling, on the machine's actual field capacity (AFC) was examined. The prototype underwent preliminary field testing to assess the functional viability, and the functioning was satisfactory. The main effect of the feeding mechanism and soil covering/compacting wheel angle on AFC was statistically significant at 5 % for tomato and brinjal whereas their first-order interaction was found statistically significant on AFC for tomatoes. The findings demonstrate that this study's prototype can be marketed or used to further vegetable production studies.

Design and Development of Automatic Universal Chain Type Vegetable Transplanter

Many vegetable crops are best grown by growing seeds in a controlled environment and then transplanting seedlings to the field. Transplanting methods have dramatically improved in recent years, but are still very labour intensive. Mechanization of Feeding of the seedlings on vegetable transplanter face many restrictions due to non-uniformity in shape and size of the seedings and different transplantation spacing requirement, since the yield of various crops are determined by spacing of the seedlings. Even today, many transplanting methods rely on human labour to place seedlings directly into a planting mechanism and to determine the correct spacing. Manual Transplantation involve repetitive prolonged awkward posture which pose high risk of musculoskeletal disorder. There exists a need of universal transplanter which is economical, effective, ergonomically fit and transplant the seedlings at uniform predefined spacing irrespective of shape and size. Chain Type vegetable transplanter could be the solution to the above discussed problems. The designed transplanter enables the farmers to plant the seedling tape of any shape/size at desired plant to plant distance and to do so rapidly, thereby quickly disposing the seedlings at precise depth, properly oriented and at correctly spaced intervals. This can be achieved in certain steps, which involves the steps of unwinding the honeycomb arranged plant tape in seedling tray, making furrow in the ground, cutting the tape & placing it in furrow in the ground, and pressing it firmly in furrow. There is also provision to adjust the plant-to-plant spacing using the gear shifter and number of cutting blades to adjust the distance between two simultaneous seedlings drop in furrow. Transplantation speed of 71 Plants per minutes can be achieved thus saving time of transplantation, labour need and cost of transplantation.

Development of a transplanter-based transplanter for vegetable seedlings cultured in a cuttable nursery mat

To ease transplantation, which is labor-intensive and strongly influences yield, fully automatic vegetable transplanters have been developed; however, most of them are heavy and expensive. In this study, we developed a low-cost, high-efficiency vegetable transplanter based on a conventional Japanese rice transplanter. A rice transplanter can be used only on flooded fields; therefore, some mechanical components were modified for transplantation on dry fields. To correctly cut the nursery mat one at a time without damaging the seedlings, components of an end-effector and a rotor case were modified. Moreover, to firmly grasp heavier and larger vegetable seedlings than those of rice, a leaf spring-type retainer and a long guide were developed and a cuttable nursery mat (CNM) was introduced as a new solid nursery bed. The prototype could transplant up to 250 cabbage plants min−1 row−1 for planting speed of 1.0 m s−1. CNM seedlings (CNMS) could be better transplanted and cultivated than conventional plug seedlings (PS). In contrast to PS, CNMS were cultured for short time before transplantation because root spread was not required as the CNM itself has an adequate stiffness. This study is the first demonstration of the possible applications of this rice transplanter-based vegetable transplanting system.

Development and field testing of biodegradable seedling plug-tray cutting mechanism for automated vegetable transplanter

Removing seedlings from plug-trays to transplant in the field poses transplanting shocks to the seedlings and may reduce the survival rate. Therefore, this study designed biodegradable plug-tray cutting mechanism (SPCM) that separates seedlings with plug-cells from plug-trays and eliminates a complex clamping mechanism. SPCM consists of three sub-mechanisms that align the plug-cell at the seedling discharge point to cut and separate the plug-cell from the plug-tray, allowing the seedling to fall into the transplanting hopper. The SPCM separated around 82% of the plug-cell and delivered it to the planting unit. Furthermore, the SPCM-equipped transplanter achieved a transplanting performance of 74% with pepper and cabbage seedlings, with an average field efficiency of 68%, field capacity of 0.032-0.035 ha h-1 and required 73% less labour than manual seedling transplanting. The transplanting performance was satisfactory, with most pepper seedlings (85%) transplanted with a planting angle less than 10°, and 7% of cabbage seedlings were inclined and had sufficient planting depth of 48 mm for cabbage and 53 mm for pepper. In conclusion, the SPCM is a step towards sustainable and efficient vegetable seedling transplanting. Increasing efficiency, planting accuracy, and sustainability present exciting opportunities for further research and development in the field.

Advancement in Vegetable Transplanting: Mechanization, Challenges and Opportunities By IJISRT

The transplanting operation is required higher labour intensity and lower efficiency for the operation by hand in vegetable production. It is largely done by hand in India and vegetable transplanting is a time-consuming field operation when performed manually. This makes it necessary to adapt the mechanization for vegetable transplantation to save money and time and increase the productivity to fulfil the food requirement of a huge population. Due to the growing demand for vegetables all year round, the use of vegetable transplanters has become widespread in agricultural production. Hand transplanting of vegetable seedlings is always been a time consuming and laborious activity which often leads to muscular fatigue. The work is drudgeries and laborious as the operation is done in a bending and squatting posture. The semi-automatic vegetable transplanters are heavy to operate due to limitations on manual feeding rates of seedlings which vary with respect to work duration and skill of the operator. Automation in the field of vegetable transplanters has provided opportunities for savings in labour and time required for transplanting operation. The beginning and current advances in transplanting technologies suggest ample scope of working on automated seedling pickup and drop mechanisms using robotics. This study highlights the discuss vegetable transplanter and advances in transplanting technologies used in the field.

Development of Dibble Mechanism for Tractor Operated Two Row Semi – Automatic Vegetable Transplanter

Vegetables play a crucial role in daily human nutrition, and India ranks second in vegetable production globally. Despite this, manual transplantation is prevalent in India, characterized by labor-intensive practices. The study aimed to address this by developing a tractor-operated linear dibble mechanism for tomato and chili seedlings, designed with seedling spacings of 45 and 60 cm. The evaluation for optimal operating conditions included varying engine speeds (700, 800, 900, 1000 rpm), gear positions (L1, L2), and power take-off positions (P1, P2). Among these, L1P1 and L1P2, with seedling spacings of 57.57 cm and 45.20 cm respectively, aligned with the designed spacings, while L2P1 was excluded due to excessive dibble spacing. Evaluation concentrated on 800 and 1000 rpm, with 700 rpm causing jerks. The preference for 1000 rpm was driven by higher field capacity, as exceeding 1000 rpm posed difficulties for workers. Selections were made with a focus on achieving desired dibble spacings while taking into account worker comfort and field capacity.

Design and development of a vegetable plug seedling transplanting mechanism for a semi-automatic transplanter

The most important operation in the vegetable cultivation is transplanting of vegetable seedling which can be acomplished efficiently by transplanters. A transplanting unit is a crucial component of the vegetable transplanter since it can substantially impact its overall effectiveness. The current study designed and developed a transplanting unit of a two-row tractor-mounted semi-automatic type vegetable seedling (plug type) transplanter. It includes a 5-bar planting mechanism, a hopping dibber planter with a bearing-fitted lever, and a half-open double-door planter opening mechanism. The planting geometry of 0.60×0.45 m was considered during the design process. To evaluate the functional viability and basic machine settings, the transplanting unit underwent preliminary laboratory testing. The field testing investigated the impact of the two types of germination tray cavities, three feeding systems, soil-covering wheel tilt angle, and plant age on the upright plant percentage. For the tomato and eggplant crops, the mean value of the upright plants transplanted by machine ranging from 89.35-94.21 % and 91.32-94.91 % across all treatment combinations; at a 5 % significance level, the differences were not statistically significant. However, the main effect of the soil-covering wheel tilt angle and the plant age on the upright plant percentage was statistically significant at a 5 % significance level in both crops. The mechanism has the ability to significantly raise transplanting quality, which may satisfy the mechanism's design and manufacturing requirements.

Stress Simulation on Cam-Type Transplanting Device of Semiautomatic Vegetable Transplanter

Stress measurements play a crucial role in safety analyses of transplanting devices. Strain gauges for stress measurements during field tests can be expensive and time-consuming. The aim of this study was to investigate the stress on the transplanting device of a cam-type semiautomatic vegetable transplanter using a simulation method. A three-dimensional simulation model was established, considering the dimensions and material properties of the transplanting device. The stress distribution and maximum stress values were obtained through simulations. The maximum stress values at 15 points within the transplanting device determined via the simulation were compared with the experimental stress data to verify the stress simulation model. The results show that the maximum stress obtained from the simulation correlated with that of the measured results, although differences were observed at different locations, particularly at strain gauge positions 11 and 13. Based on the simulation results, the maximum stress occurs at the upper link of the cam-type transplanting device, reaching a magnitude of 201.21 MPa, and the static safety factor is 1.04.

Semi-automatic Vegetable Transplanters: A Review

The objective of this study was to review the research and development in semi-automatic vegetable transplanters. Discuss the various semi-automatic vegetable transplanters on the basis of metering mechanism, power source, plant spacing, number of rows, field capacity, field efficiency, etc. On the basis of review, it is observed that the transplanting rate, field capacity and field efficiency is better than handheld and traditional method of vegetable transplanting. It maintains the row to row and plant to plant distance and planting depth which helps in after transplanting mechanical practices on the farm. It is effective to increase the production as well as quality of the produce. Also, it saves a lot of time and money.

Comparison of Consumed Power and Safety of Two Types of Semi-Automatic Vegetable Transplanter: Cam and Four-Bar Link

The consumed power and safety of cam and four-bar-link semi-automatic vegetable transplanters were analyzed and compared according to the engine speed and planting distances. A measurement system was constructed to obtain the torque, rotational speed, and strain at the corresponding locations of both transplanters. Field tests were conducted at three engine speeds and three planting distances for each type of transplanter. The torque and rotational speed data of the input shaft of the transplanting devices were used to calculate the power consumed during transplanting. The strain data were converted into stress values to calculate the static safety factor and fatigue life. The results show that the torque and consumed power of the cam transplanter were greater than those of the four-bar-link transplanter under similar operational conditions, owing to its rigid and heavier design. The consumed power increased as the engine speed increased for both types. The static safety factor and fatigue life exhibited different values depending on the measurement location with a sufficient safety margin. Although more skill is required in planting distance control owing to its manual adjustment, the four-bar-link type is more economical under similar operating conditions because of its smaller power requirement.

Preliminary Results Detailing the Effect of the Cultivation System of Mulched Ridge with Double Row on Solanaceous Vegetables Obtained by Using the 2ZBX-2A Vegetable Transplanter

China is the largest vegetable producer in the world, and vegetable production is more geographically concentrated in the Huang-Huai-Hai region and the Yangtze River Basin. There are significant challenges ahead for increasing the average yields of the vegetables in this region. The effects of a cultivation system, a mulched ridge with a double row (MRDR), were evaluated by using the 2ZBX-2A vegetable transplanter newly designed in this paper. The key parameters of the equipment were designed and optimized by using the human–computer interaction method and the discrete element method according to agronomy requirements. Compared with the traditional ridge (TR) system on two typical solanaceous vegetables (eggplant and capsicum), the uniformities of the plant spacing and the planting depth in the MRDR system were significantly improved. Finally, the fresh fruit yield in the MRDR system increased significantly (p < 0.05) by 40.8% and 35.3% compared with that in the TR system for eggplant and capsicum, respectively. In addition, the water use efficiency (WUE) was also 54.9~59.7% higher under the MRDR system than under the TR system. All the results indicate that the MRDR system has the potential to improve the yields and WUE of solanaceous vegetables in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China.

Engineering Properties of Some Plug-type Vegetable Seedlings for Development of Automatic Vegetable Transplanter

Transplanting of vegetable seedlings has been referred as a critical and time-consuming activity in vegetable production system. In India, manual transplanting operation of vegetable seedlings is done in most areas due to non-availability of appropriate transplanter, and is drudgery prone. To mechanize this operation, vegetable transplanter needs to be developed considering engineering properties of plug-type seedlings as tomato, brinjal, and cabbage grown in pro-tray. Basic engineering properties of 30-day old seedlings of tomato, brinjal, and cabbage relevant to design of vegetable transplanter were evaluated. The moisture content of whole seedling and root bulb of tomato, brinjal, and cabbage seedlings were 84.3 (± 3.6), 86.7 (± 4.5), and 84.57 (± 3.7)% w.b., respectively. The average respective heights of the seedling were 162.44 (± 19.80), 129.4 (± 16.96), and 114.13 (± 19.98) mm, whereas, canopy major dimensions were (length) 110 ± 15.62, 79.3 ± 16.08, 91.93 ± 14.44 mm, respectively. The coefficient of frictions offered by mild steel were 0.81 (± 0.08), 0.81 (± 0.07), and 0.89 (± 0.04) for tomato, brinjal, and cabbage seedlings, respectively; and adhesion force between pro-tray and seedlings were 1.43 (± 0.40), 0.95 (± 0.22), and 0.41 (± 0.04) N, respectively. The average compression forces of the root bulbs were 6.05 ± 1.53, 5.8 ± 0.56, and 10.26 ± 0.16 N; and average needle penetration forces into root bulbs was 5.18 (± 0.86), 7.83 (± 0.56), and 19.47 (± 0.59) N for tomato, brinjal, and cabbage seedlings, respectively.
 

Vision-Based a Seedling Selective Planting Control System for Vegetable Transplanter

Seedling transplanting is an important part of vegetable mechanized production in modern agriculture. After the seedlings are cultivated on a large scale by the nursery tray, they are planted into the field by the transplanter. However, unlike manual transplanting, transplanter is unable to judge the status of seedlings in the hole during seedling planting, which leads to problems such as damaged seedlings and empty holes being picked in the same order and planted into the field, resulting in yield reduction and missed planting. Aiming at this problem, we designed a seedling selective planting control system for vegetable transplanter which includes vision unit, seedling picking mechanism, seedling feeding mechanism, planting mechanism, pneumatic push rod unit, limit sensor, industrial computer and logic controller. We used asymmetrical light to construct visual identification scenes for planting conditions, which suppresses environmental disturbances. Based on the intersection operation of mask and image, a fast framework of tray hole location and seedling identification (FHLSI) was proposed combined with FCM segmentation algorithm. The vision unit provides the transplanting system with information on the status of the holes to be transplanted. Based on the information, planting system chooses the healthy seedlings for transplanting, improving the survival rate and quality of transplanting. The results show that the proposed visual method has an average accuracy of 92.35% for identification with the selective planting control system of seedlings and improves the transplanting quality by 15.4%.

Seedlings Supplement Device and Seedling Recognition Based on Convolution Neural Network

A fully automatic plug seedling device is designed, its structure and working principle are introduced, and a plug seedling hole identification method based on CNN is proposed to address the issue of adjacent holes in order to increase the automation and intelligence of the vegetable transplanting machine. The issue of low recognition accuracy of plug seedlings is brought on by intertwined stems and leaves. This study first grows tomato seedlings in an artificial greenhouse and then utilizes an SLR camera to take pictures of those plants. The photos are then subjected to the appropriate preprocessing, such as separating the complete hole plate image into several hole images in accordance with the hole plate standards to facilitate recognition. The CNN model is then finished being trained after receiving the processed image. Relu, which has a better ability for classification, is chosen as the activation function of the convolutional layer after the network is enlarged on the basis of LeNet-5CNN. In addition, the over-fitting issue of the model is resolved using data augmentation technology, resulting in a recognition accuracy of the test set of the model that is as high as 0.985. The automatic vegetable transplanting machine can greatly increase the automation and intelligence level of the plug seedling recognition model based on CNN, which has high recognition accuracy and generalization ability. This model also solves the main technical problems of the plug seedling device and improves the machine's ability to transplant.

Design and Working Parameter Optimization of Pneumatic Reciprocating Seedling-Picking Device of Automatic Transplanter

To improve the seedling-picking efficiency of the vegetable transplanter and reduce the damage rate of the seedling pot, a reciprocating seedling-picking device driven by full air pressure was designed. In this paper, the structure and working principle of the pneumatic seedling-picking device are introduced. Through the mechanical analysis between the seedling-picking claw and the seedling pot, working parameters such as the stroke and driving force of the pneumatic seedling-picking claw clamping cylinder were determined. According to the action sequence of the seedling-picking mechanism, which is horizontally dispersed and longitudinally conveyed, the pneumatic control scheme of the seedling-picking and -dropping system was formulated. The simulation model for the control loop of the longitudinal cylinder was created with AMESim simulation software, and the simulation analysis was carried out. The Box–Behnken response surface design optimization method was used to determine the best operating parameters of the cylinder. The optimized peak value of shock vibration at the end of the cylinder was optimized from −65.64 mm·s−2 to 35.41 mm·s−2, proving that the optimization of pneumatic working parameters has a positive effect on the success rate of seedling picking. The bench test of the seedling-picking mechanism was conducted on 72-hole plug seedlings with two picking frequencies of 120 plants·min−1 and 144 plants·min−1, respectively, and the average seedling leakage rate, seedling damage rate, and seedling pot damage rate at different picking frequencies were counted. The experimental results show that under the two seedling-picking frequencies, the average success rate of seedling picking and throwing after optimization is increased from 96.4% and 92.4% to 97.9% and 95.3%, respectively. This is in line with the requirements of high-speed seedling picking and confirms the rationality of the seedling-picking mechanism design.

Design and Test of A Force Feedback Seedling Pick-Up Gripper for An Automatic Transplanter

Aiming at the problems of seedling injury and planting leakage due to the lack of seeding clamping force detection and real-time control in vegetable transplanting, a force feedback gripper was developed based on the linear Hall element. The mechanical properties of the stem of pepper cavity seedlings were first analyzed to provide a basis for the design of the gripper. A linear Hall sensor, a magnet, an elastic actuator, and an Arduino Uno development board make up the grasping force detecting system. Upon picking up a seedling, the elastic actuator, which is connected to the magnet, bends like a cantilever beam. As a result of the micro-displacement created by the elastic actuator, the Hall sensor’s voltage changes and can be used to determine the clamping force. Detection avoids direct contact between the sensor and the cavity seedlings, reducing the risk of sensor damage. Finite element method (FEM) simulations were used to determine the initial spacing between the magnet and Hall sensor and the effect of the elastic actuator. Control commands are sent to the servo based on the gripping force collected by the Arduino Uno board. Finally, the functions of accurate measurement, display, storage, and control of the clamping force of the cavity tray seedlings are realized, so that the damage rate of the cavity tray seedlings is reduced. In order to explore the influence of the elastic actuators on the clamping force detection system and the performance of the force feedback gripper, a calibration test of the clamping force detection system and a test of the indoor transplantation of pepper seedlings were carried out. Based on the calibration test, the clamping force detection system has a sensitivity of 0.0693 V/N, linearity of 3.21%, an average linear coefficient of determination of 0.986, and a range of 10 N, which fully meet the clamping force detection accuracy requirements during transplantation. Indoor tests showed that the force feedback gripper was stable and adaptable. This study can provide a reference for detecting and controlling clamping forces during transplantation.

Experimental Safety Analysis for Transplanting Device of the 4-Bar Link Type Semi-Automatic Vegetable Transplanter

The goal of this research was to analyze the load and safety of the transplanting device of the 4-bar link type semi-automatic vegetable transplanter under different workload conditions. To measure the strain at the transplanting device, a load measurement system was developed using 15 strain gauges. Field tests were conducted at 4 levels of engine speeds (750, 1000, 1250, and 1500 rpm) and 10 levels of the planting distance (0.29–0.47 m). The static safety factor was defined as the ratio between the strength of the material and the maximum stress in the transplanting device. The calculated stress data were converted from the time domain to the frequency domain using the rain-flow counting methods and Goodman’s Equation. The sum of fatigue damage was acquired based on the Palmgren–Miner’s rule. It was observed that the stresses increased with increasing engine speed and planting distance. The results show the higher engine speed and the longer planting distance will decrease the static safety factor and fatigue life. The static safety factor value was more than 1.0 for all locations and all working conditions. The minimum fatigue life was 49,153.3 h at link A (S_14), under the working condition of engine speed 750 rpm and planting distance of 0.35 m.

Experimental safety analysis of transplanting device of the cam-type semi-automatic vegetable transplanter

A transplanting device is a part of a vegetable transplanter that performs a key role and receives a large load during the transplanting work. The load characteristics affect the static and dynamic safety of the transplanting device. The aim of this research was to experimentally investigate the load and safety of the transplanting device of the cam-type semi-automatic vegetable transplanter commonly used in Korea. A strain-based load measurement system was constructed using 15 strain gauges attached to selected measurement spots on the transplanting device. Field tests were conducted at 4 levels of engine speed and 12 levels of planting distance. Measured strain data were converted into stress values to analyse the static safety factor and fatigue life of the transplanting device. The results showed that the stress acting on the transplanting device tended to increase with the increase in the engine speed or the decrease in the planting distance. The static safety factors of the transplanting device under various working conditions were greater than 1.0 for all the measurement spots. The minimum fatigue life was 66,416 h at the upper side of the hopper which is sufficient lifetime, considering 25.5 h of annual usage time in Korea.

Vegetable Transplanters for India: A Review

India ranks second after China in vegetable production in the world. Vegetable transplantation is labor-intensive due to the requirement of transplanting practices. This makes it necessary to adapt the mechanization for vegetable transplantation to save money and time and increase the productivity to fulfill the food requirement of a huge population. In India, vegetables are grown in small plots. The research paper on the design development and performance evaluation of the various manual vegetable transplanters, semi-automatic vegetable transplanters, automatic vegetable transplanters are studied for the purpose to find out the most useful vegetable transplanter in Indian conditions. As per the land use pattern in India, the small and economical vegetable transplanters are beneficial. The articles in this section discuss vegetable transplanters and advances in vegetable transplanting technology used in India.