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.

A full-automatic system and operation method of integrated sorting-transplanting-replanting for plug seedlings includes a frame, feeding units for a target tray and source tray, a discarding seedling tray bin, a single-claw for replanting unit, a multi-claw for sorting and transplanting unit, seedling picking claws and a monitoring module. During transportation, the seedling picking claws pass through a seedling picking zone, seedling monitoring zone, seedling discarding zone and seedling releasing zone in turn. The monitoring module and the single-claw for replanting unit are located behind and in the front of the vertical movement plane of the multi-claw, respectively. Along a tray feeding direction, a first row of the source tray is set as a source area for replanting, and other rows of the source tray are all set as the source area for transplanting. The monitoring and sorting is finished during the transportation without stopping.

A transplanting device separates a seedling bed piece with a seedling from a seedling bed along slits and transplants the separated seedling bed piece to a permanent planting panel. The transplanting device includes a separating mechanism and a transplanting mechanism. The separating mechanism includes a holding member and is capable of separating the seedling bed piece from the seedling bed. The transplanting mechanism is capable of transplanting the separated seedling bed piece to the permanent planting panel. The separating mechanism includes an engagement bar capable of hampering movement of an adjacent seedling bed piece adjacent to a holding-target seedling bed piece held by the holding member by becoming engaged with the adjacent seedling bed piece from a side that is different from a first side, on which the stalk of the seedling grows.

A high-speed transplanting mechanism having a laterally openable/closable duckbill has a duckbill soil penetration angle adjusting arm disposed on a duckbill transplanting portion, the duckbill soil penetration angle adjusting arm has a rear arm and a front arm with each end thereof connected by a reverse-threaded adjusting screw rod, and other ends thereof hingedly connected to an adjusting arm support shaft and the duckbill transplanting portion, respectively. A length of the reverse-threaded adjusting screw rod enables the duckbill to tilt in a direction opposite to a driving direction of a transplanting machine, and a vertical central straight line of the duckbill makes an angle with the ground capable of being adjusted between 65-85.

A method for conveying and dropping seedlings based on a device for conveying and positioning a seedling tray of an automatic transplanter is provided. The device for conveying and positioning the seedling tray of the automatic transplanter includes a platform for conveying the seedling tray, a first sensor, a second sensor, a plurality of push rods, and a control system. The platform is configured for conveying the seedling tray to be below seedling picking claws. The push rods are evenly distributed on the platform. The seedling tray is placed between adjacent two of the push rods. The first sensor is mounted close to the seedling picking claws and configured for identifying the seedling tray. The second sensor is mounted on a rack of the platform for conveying the seedling tray and configured for identifying the push rods. The control system controls the platform for conveying the seedling tray.

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 selective transplanter is provided for transplanting seedlings from a tray to seedling planting apparatus. The tray includes a plurality of cells for holding plugs of growing medium containing seedlings. The transplanter is arranged to eject plugs from the cells of the tray to a conveyor which conveys the plugs to the seedling planting apparatus. The transplanter is arranged to remove plugs that do not contain germinated seedlings from the conveyor at a removal position before they are transferred to the seedling planting apparatus. A seedling retention roller engages with plant material of the seedlings projecting from the plugs at the removal position before the plugs are transferred to the seedling planting apparatus, preventing removal of plugs containing seedlings with projecting plant material. The transplanter provides the advantage that the plugs containing seedlings can be planted in rows in a field without dud plugs being planted, leaving the rows substantially gap free.

An adjustable seedling pick-up end effector for automatically transplanting plug seedlings is provided 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.

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 method for conveying and dropping seedlings based on a device for conveying and positioning a seedling tray of an automatic transplanter, wherein the device for conveying and positioning the seedling tray of the automatic transplanter includes a platform for conveying the seedling tray, a first sensor, a second sensor, a plurality of push rods, and a control system. The platform is configured for conveying the seedling tray to be below seedling picking claws. The push rods are evenly distributed on the platform. The seedling tray is placed between adjacent two of the push rods. The first sensor is mounted close to the seedling picking claws and configured for identifying the seedling tray. The second sensor is mounted on a rack of the platform for conveying the seedling tray and configured for identifying the push rods. The control system controls the platform for conveying the seedling tray.