An adjustable seedling pick-up end effector for automatically transplanting plug seedlings includes two clamping fingers installed symmetrically along a direction of a center line, support frames respectively connected adjustably to the clamping fingers, and a mechanical arm fixedly connected to the support frames. The mechanical arm is constructed to drive a clamping pin mechanism to execute actions of prying, grabbing, and quickly releasing the plug seedlings, and the adjustment of the opening degree and the clamping angle of the clamping pin mechanism is realized by adopting the adjustably connected support frames. The end effector can be actively opened and closed to grab and release the plug seedlings, provide a larger space to accommodate the plug seedlings so as not to damage the seedlings, and adjust the opening degree and the clamping angle, which can meet the seedling pick-up requirements for automatic transplanting of plug seedlings of various specifications.

The present disclosure provides generally for a system and method for planting flora, fauna, and dispersing various organisms through drone delivery. The system may comprise of a drone with seedling box that may hold and drop the pods containing flora or fauna. The seedling box may hold the pods with the flora or fauna in them and at specific intervals drop the pod with the to flora or fauna. The seedling box may also hold various organisms or other materials and drop these organisms or materials when directed. A seedling box may comprise loading mechanism and deploying mechanism to facilitate accurate, timely deployment of the pods containing the seedlings. A pod may comprise a weighted tip with hollow cavity for seedling placement and a vertical rod for securing seedling during deployment. Where the system comprises uneven number of seedlings, seedling box may include counterweights to provide stability in configured flight patterns for duration of seedling deployment.

A method and system for planting seedlings including a seedling handling system, a seedling chute system and a planting head. The seedling handling system retrieves the seedlings and then the seedling chute system transfers the seedlings from the seedling handling system to the planting head which then plants the seedlings. The method includes retrieving a row of seedlings and then delivering the row of seedlings to the planting head for individual planting of the seedlings. The method and system provide for continuous tree planting.

An ejecting-clamping-pulling combined seedling fetching device for an automatic transplanter and an operating method therefor. The device comprises: a seedling ejecting mechanism (1), a seedling feeder mechanism (2), a seedling fetching mechanism (3), and a control system. The seedling feeder mechanism (2) is mounted on a stander; the seedling ejecting mechanism (1) is mounted on the seedling feeder mechanism (2) and is located at the rear side of the seedling feeder mechanism (2); the seeding fetching mechanism (3) is mounted at the stander and is located at the front side of the seedling feeder mechanism (2). An upper ejector rod support (1-6) and a lower ejector rod support (1-4) are provided on the seedling ejecting mechanism (1); the seedling ejecting rods on the two supports are disposed in a staggered manner, and the upper ejector rod support (1-6) and the lower ejector rod support (1-4) are configured to alternately eject and loosen seedling trays. The ejecting-clamping-pulling combined seedling fetching device can eject and loose seedling trays, and the completeness of the trays is guaranteed. The ejecting-clamping-pulling seedling fetching method can accurately control seedling fetching and feeding actions; and furthermore, the device is simple in structure, high in reliability and efficiency and low in damage rate of tray bodies.

A transplanting machine has a frame, a plowing implement, a conveyor operable to present seedlings in a tray to picking mechanisms, a plurality of mechanical gates arranged to receive the seedlings, computerized circuitry adapted to analyze portions of pixelated images of seedlings, a channel array associated with the plurality of mechanical gates, an operating mechanism in the final planting gate adapted to gate each seedling arriving at the single position into the furrow, and a closing device adapted to close the furrow. The circuitry determines a status as suitable to plant, transmits the status to a controller that activates the mechanical gates in a sequential order, except for when the seedling is not suitable, in which circumstance that mechanical gate is skipped, such that in a next cycle two seedlings will be gated to the single position together, and one will be suitable to plant.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for treating and transplanting plant propagation materials into a cultivation medium, comprising: a. providing a plurality of plant-receiving cavities in the cultivation medium; b. providing the plant propagation materials (K) in a reservoir (10); c. removing from the reservoir container and separating out plant propagation materials, and d. orienting the separated-out plant propagation materials in a position upwardly of the cavity, and e. releasing the plant propagation material from the orientation position into the associated plant-receiving cavity, and f. selectively applying a dressing composition aliquot to a surface of the plant propagation material while it is moving towards the plant-receiving cavity.

A method and system for planting seedlings including a seedling handling system, a seedling chute system and a planting head. The method includes retrieving a row of seedlings and then delivering the row of seedlings to the planting head for individual planting of the seedlings.

A plug-tray seedling automatic transplanting machine and control method thereof, wherein, said machine comprises a chassis bracket, a planting mechanism, seedling separating mechanisms, seedling guiding devices, a power mechanism, a box shifting mechanism, a seedling picking mechanism. The box shifting mechanism is installed on the chassis bracket, the seedling picking mechanism is installed on the box shifting mechanism, and two sets of seedling separating mechanism are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the box shifting mechanism by the chassis bracket, the seedling guiding device is provided above each set of seedling separating mechanism, and the planting mechanism is provided under each set of seedling separating mechanism. With the synergistic effect of various mechanisms and control system, it is possible to pick seedlings in whole row without interval in various sizes of plug-trays, and drop seedlings at the same time, which increase the efficiency and success rate of picking seedlings and dropping seedlings. The plug-tray only needs to move longitudinally, thereby improving the efficiency of the plug-tray transport. The seedling claw can comb the pot seedlings before being inserted into the pot, which improves the quality of seedling picking. The seedling guiding device receives the seedlings statically and shortens the free-falling movement distance, which makes seedling dropping more accurate.

A system for a high-efficiency planting operation for a work machine for planting saplings. The system comprises a conveying unit to store at least one tray of saplings and to transport the tray of saplings towards a gripping unit. The gripping unit retrieves at least one sapling from the tray and to release at least one sapling towards an indexing unit. The indexing unit is coupled to the gripping unit and individually releases a sapling for planting. A planting unit receives the sapling from the indexing unit and delivers the sapling into a ground. A sensing module is coupled to a plurality of sensors to detect a set of parameters and generates data input signals based on the parameters. A controller receives the data input signals and provides feedback to the conveying unit, the indexing unit or the planting unit to adjust actuators in response to the data input signals.

An apparatus having a support frame supports a tray actuation means, a pick up means and a conveyor assembly for feeding a transplanter with viable plants from a multi-celled tray is disclosed. The tray actuation means is configured to move the multi-celled tray along the support frame. The pick up means is configured to pick up the viable plants by their foliage from the multi-celled tray and leaving non-viable plants therein. The conveyor assembly includes receptacles for receiving one viable plant from the pick up means, and at least one sensor for detecting empty receptacles. A controller cooperatively operates the tray actuation means, the pick up means, and the conveyor assembly in order to skip empty receptacles for ensuring continuous feeding of the transplanter with viable plants. A gripper for picking up plants by their foliage is disclosed. A method for continuously feeding the transplanter with viable plants is disclosed.