An automatic feeding device and method for a seedling bed of a transplanter, comprising: a bracket installed on the transplanter; several trays, obliquely arranged on the bracket downwards, and the bottom of the trays being provided with release mechanisms for releasing the rice seedling bed; a conveyor belt, arranged on the bracket; a photoelectric sensor, arranged on the transplanting platform; and a controller, in communication connection with the photoelectric sensor, when the photoelectric sensor detects that the height of the remaining rice seedling bed on the transplanting platform is lower than the height of the photoelectric sensor. Only one driver is needed to operate, so that the labor input is greatly reduced, and the labor intensity is reduced; meanwhile, the space is saved by the reduction of the number of workers, enabling more seedling raw materials to be stored.

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.

A planting system (100) for arrangement on a vehicle (110) comprises at least one plant arm (130) comprising a plant head (140) configured to penetrate ground and a plant feeding device (120) configured to feed plant seedlings (125) to the plant arm by dropping the plant seedlings from the plant feeding device. The plant arm comprises at least one articulation (180) and is configured to receive plant seedlings (125) and to guide the plant seedlings to the plant head. The planting system is configured to operate the plant arm by penetrating the ground and release the plant seedlings from the plant head into the ground while the plant system (100) is in motion and the plant head has a fixed position relative the ground. The plant seedlings fall from the plant feeding device (120) to the plant head (140) while the plant arm (130) is in motion.

An apparatus and methods are provided for transplanting slips with an automated slip transplanter. The transplanter comprises a planter unit, a singulation unit, a conveyor belt, a node sensor, and a controller. The planter unit is configured to plant consistent rows of evenly spaced slips in a field. The singulation unit comprises automated grippers and slip cartridges, and is configured to continuously singulate harvested slips stored in the slip cartridges. The conveyor belt is configured to receive the singulated slips from the automated grippers with brushed holders, and transfer the received slips on a belt to the planter unit. The node sensor is configured to autonomously collect performance data of the singulated slips in real-time. The controller is communicatively coupled to the node sensor, and configured to implement operational modes and dynamically adjust a planting slip rate based on the operational modes and performance data collected by the node sensor.

An automatic picking and launching seedling device for a transplanting machine is provided, as well as methods of using the same. The device includes a seedling picking mechanism, seedling guiding devices, a box shifting mechanism and seedling separating mechanisms. The seedling picking mechanism is mounted on the box shifting mechanism, the two sets of seedling separating mechanisms are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the box shifting mechanism, and the seedling guiding device is arranged on the top of the seedling separating mechanism. The box shifting mechanism transports the disc to the seedling picking point, and the seedling picking mechanism moves the picking seedling claws to the seedling picking point to take the seedlings and moves to the seedling launching point to launch the seedlings.

A planting system (100) for arrangement on a vehicle (110) is provided and comprises at least one plant arm (130) comprising a plant head (140) configured to penetrate ground and a plant feeding device (120) configured to feed plant seedlings (125) to the plant arm by dropping the plant seedlings from the plant feeding device. The plant arm comprises at least one articulation (180) and is configured to receive plant seedlings (125) and to guide the plant seedlings to the plant head. The planting system is configured to operate the plant arm by penetrating the ground and release the plant seedlings from the plant head into the ground while the plant system (100) is in motion and the plant head has a fixed position relative the ground. The plant seedlings fall from the plant feeding device (120) to the plant head (140) while the plant arm (130) is in motion.

Automated, metrically controlled methods and systems of cultivating plants to maximize customer order fulfillment can dynamically take into consideration growing conditions and environments of transplant propagules, plants, and seedlings and even changeable order requirements. Through an appropriately configured programmable plant growth configured computer system, computer logic determined optimization of transplanting times, growth conditions, planting needs, and transplant propagule quantities, among other aspects, may be met more efficiently, with less waste at closer to one hundred percent. Programmable plant growth configured computer systems may be configured with a multi-cycle replacement tray maximization metric programs, and/or a multi growth stage parameterized metrics to achieve processes that are mare than just automated, but are fundamentally more than and different from previous systems. Automatic metric controls can simultaneously and differentially control donor tray growth environments apart from customer tray environments as automatically provided for by a program implemented to utilize multi-cycle replacement tray or multi growth stage parameterized metrics to sequence and achieve outcomes not previously available. Optimization of transplanting to customer plant trays and use and disposal of donor trays may optimize the economics by reducing waste through new processes that are fundamentally different and dynamically adaptable in real time from those manually conducted. Through transplanting optimization customer yields and producer efficiencies may be maximized.

An independently automated mechanical transplanter assemblage for ejecting plants into the soil is shown and described. The mechanical transplanter includes a plurality of mechanical transplanter units mounted to a frame. Each mechanical transplanter unit will include a plant tray indexing vertically and horizontally for presenting plants to a grabber having a plurality of forks. The grabber and forks thereon will be able to swing into a horizontal position for advancing in a linear motion to grip and retract plants from cells in a tray. The grabber will also be configured to swing the forks into an approximate vertical plane for ejecting each independently held plant down a funnel into a planting shoe for delivery into an open row in the soil. Other embodiments of the device are also disclosed.

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.

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 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.