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. 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. A method for continuously feeding the transplanter with viable plants.

The present disclosure provides a self-propelled full-automatic dense-planting vegetable transplanter and a planting control method thereof. The self-propelled full-automatic dense-planting vegetable transplanter includes a seedling taking and throwing mechanism, a box moving device, a crawler-type walking chassis, a seedling guiding device, a soil covering mechanism, a planting mechanism, and a dispersing device. The box moving device is mounted on the crawler-type walking chassis. The dispersing device is located on one side of the box moving device. The seedling taking and throwing mechanism includes a seedling taking and throwing movement mechanism and a linear movement mechanism. The linear movement mechanism is arranged above the box moving device. The seedling taking and throwing movement mechanism is configured to reciprocate between the dispersing device and the box moving device through the linear movement mechanism. The dispersing device is connected to the seedling guiding device.

A self-propelled full-automatic dense-planting vegetable transplanter and control method thereof includes a seedling taking and throwing mechanism, a box moving device, a crawler-type walking chassis, a seedling guiding device, a soil covering mechanism, a planting mechanism, and a dispersing device. The box moving device is mounted on the crawler-type walking chassis. The dispersing device is located on one side of the box moving device. The seedling taking and throwing mechanism includes a seedling taking and throwing movement mechanism and a linear movement mechanism. The linear movement mechanism is arranged above the box moving device. The seedling taking and throwing movement mechanism is configured to reciprocate between the dispersing device and the box moving device through the linear movement mechanism. The dispersing device is connected to the seedling guiding device.

There is disclosed a plant growing system, comprising a grow room comprising a plurality of vertical shelves, the plurality of vertical shelves holding trays filled with growing plants; a processing room comprising at least one robotic arm and at least two conveyor belts; wherein growing plants are allowed to grow in a controlled environment while being positioned on the plurality of vertical shelves; and wherein the at least one robotic arm is adapted to perform multiple transplantation of the growing plants in the processing room at pre-determined stages of the growing plants' lifecycle. Also disclosed is a plant growing process using at least two transport robots operatively positioned in a grow room.

Attachment including a base plate and three guiding plates disposed on the base plate is attached to a pot seedling guide portion. The guiding plates are arranged alternately on right and left sides along a reference line L, and resistance imparting portions are arranged on the reference line L. This allows a tensile force to be generated between individual pots and linked by a link piece, and a corrective effect on a posture of the individual pots in contact with guiding surfaces of the guiding plates can be enhanced.

The automatic seedling taking and separation system includes a seedling taking device, a seedling delivery device, and two seedling separation devices; the seedling taking device conveys substrate block seedlings on a seedling tray to the seedling delivery device in rows; the seedling delivery device divides a row of substrate block seedlings into two parts and conveys the substrate block seedlings to the two seedling separation devices; and the seedling separation devices perform single-seedling separation through seedling separation mechanisms. The present disclosure can automatically take and separate vegetable substrate block seedlings, thus improving the working efficiency.

An apparatus and a method for treating and transplanting plant propagation materials into a cultivation medium, including: a. providing a plurality of plant-receiving cavities in the cultivation medium; b. providing the plant propagation materials in a reservoir; 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.