Dynamic analysis and experiment of the seedling pick-up mechanism for pepper hole tray seedlings

Zhaoyang Ren, Minjuan Hu, Yao Ji, Wei Yan, Kun Li, Xunze Zhou, Wenyi Zhang

Abstract


To improve the quality of seedling picking and throwing in the mechanical transplanting process of pepper hole tray seedlings, this study establishes a dynamic model of pepper hole tray seedlings during the picking and throwing stages. Through analyses of the instantaneous force on stem during clamping, substrate force during pulling, and kinematic analysis during throwing, the relationships between stem deviation from cotyledon center and clamping height, picking mechanism rotation speed and clamp opening speed, as well as throwing speed, throwing height, and horizontal throwing displacement are obtained. The main influencing factors affecting throwing success rate and their critical values are determined, with the optimal clamping position found to be 15 mm from the surface of the substrate to the stem. Bench experiments explore the effects of picking mechanism rotation speed, throwing height, and planting mouth diameter on throwing success rate, with the critical ranges of each factor aligning closely with theoretical analysis results, validating the accuracy and feasibility of the model. To investigate the optimal combination of picking and planting mechanisms under conditions of high throwing rate, a response surface experiment analysis is conducted to establish regression mathematical models between major influencing factors and assessment indicators. Experimental results demonstrate that with mechanism rotation speed at 67 r/min, throwing height at 93 mm, and planting mouth diameter at 137 mm, the optimized throwing success rate reaches 94.58%. This study provides valuable insights for improving the throwing quality of pepper hole tray seedlings during transplanting.
Keywords: seedling pick-up mechanism, plug seedlings, kinematic analysis, experimental design, critical conditions
DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20251801.9141

Citation: Ren Z Y, Hu M J, Ji Y, Yan W, Li K, Zhou X Z, et al. Dynamic analysis and experiment of the seedling pick-up mechanism for pepper hole tray seedlings. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2025; 18(1): 134–142.

Keywords


seedling pick-up mechanism, plug seedlings, kinematic analysis, experimental design, critical conditions

Full Text:

PDF

References


Yu X X, Zhao Y, Chen B C, Zhou M L, Zhang H, Zhang Z C. Current situation and prospect of transplanter. Transactions of the CSAM, 2014; 45(8): 44–53. (in Chinese)

Hu J P, Chang H, Yang L H, Han L H, Mao H P, Zhang S W. Design and experiment of control system for automatic transplanter picking up and spacing casting whole row of seedlings. Transactions of the CSAM, 2018; 49(6): 78–84. (in Chinese)

Wen Y S, Zhang J X, Yuan T, Tan Y Z. Current situation and analysis of automatic seedling extraction technology for vegetable pot seedling transplantation. Journal of China Agricultural University, 2021; 26(4): 128–142. (in Chinese)

Zhao Y, Liu X, Xue X L, Zhang W X, Shan Y Y, Zhou M L. Optimization design and experiment of full-automatic transplanting mechanism for eggplant pot seedlings. Transactions of the CSAM, 2018; 49(5): 152–160. (in Chinese)

Xie S Y, Zhang X L, Liu F Y, Liu J, Yuan X L, Liu W, et al. Kinetic analysis and experiment of seedling taking and throwing device based on mechanical properties of plug seedlings. Journal of Jilin University (Engineering and Technology Edition), 2023; 53(11): 3293–3304. (in Chinese)

Han C J, Zhang X J, Yang W Z, Yi W Q. Present status and analysis of dry-land auto-transplanting seedling technique. Journal of Agricultural Mechanization Research, 2011; 33(11): 238–240. (in Chinese)

Zhou M L, Sun H, Xu X, Yang J J, Wang G B, Wei Z X, et al. Study on the method and mechanism of seedling picking for pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plug seedlings. Agriculture, 2024; 14: 11.

Jiang L, Wu C Y, Tang Q, Zhang M, Wang G. Kinematics model and parameter optimization of planting process of rape carpet seedling transplanter. Transactions of the CSAE, 2018; 34(21): 37–46. (in Chinese)

Jin X, Ji J T, Liu W X, He Y K, Du X W. Structural optimization of duckbilled transplanter based on dynamic model of pot seedling movement. Transactions of the CSAE, 2018; 34(9): 58–67. (in Chinese)

Zhang X L, Xie S Y, Yuan X L, Deng C Z, Liu F Y, Wang P. Design and experiment of seedling taking and throwing device with stem clipping forvege table plug seedling. Journal of Chinese Agricultural Mechanization, 2023; 44(6): 42–47. (in Chinese)

Miao X H, Mao H P, Han L H, Sun H, Yang X J, Huang H. Analysis of influencing factors on force of picking plug seedlings and pressure resistance of plug seedlings. Transactions of the CSAM, 2013; 44(S1): 27–32. (in Chinese)

Zhao X, Wang C, Yang M X, Sun L, Chen J N. Reverse design and analysis of automatic seedling taking mechanism of non-circular gear planetary gear train. Transactions of the CSAE, 2015; 31(16): 30–36. (in Chinese)

Wang X, Liu M Z, Zhai C Y, Han C J, Yang S, Guo Y Y. Design and experiment of vegetable transplanting clip stem seedling device. Transactions of the CSAM, 2023; 54(9): 122–132. (in Chinese)

Xie S Y, Yang S H, Liu J, Song L, Xie Q J, Duan T Y. Development of the seedling taking and throwing device with oblique insertion and plug clipping for vegetable transplanters. Transactions of the CSAE, 2020; 36(6): 1–10. (in Chinese)

Jin X, Cheng Q, Zhao B, Ji J T, Li M Y. Design and test of 2ZYM-2 potted vegetable seedlings transplanting machine. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2020; 13(1): 101–110.

Wen Y S, Zhang J X, Zhang Y, Tian J Y, Yuan T, Tan Y Z, et al. Development of insertion and ejection type seedling taking device for vegetable plug seedlings. Transactions of the CSAE, 2020; 36(22): 96–104.

Ren Z Y, Yan W, Ji Y, Li K, Zhou X Z, Zhang W Y, et al. Optimized design and experiment of the seedling picking mechanism for stem-clipping for pepper hole tray seedlings. Transactions of the CSAE, 2025; 41(1): 55–64. (in Chinese)

Hu S Y, Hu M J, Yan W, Zhang W Y. Design and experiment of an integrated automatic transplanting mechanism for picking and planting pepper hole tray seedlings. Agriculture, 2022; 12(4): 1–14.

Zhu Z F, Wu G H, Ye B L, Zhang Y C. Reverse design and tests of vegetable plug seedling pick-up mechanism of planetary gear train with non-circular gears. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2023; 16(2): 96–102.

Liu J G, Yu G H, Tong Z P, Hua Y. Design and experimental study of a planetary gearing mechanism based on twice unequal amplitude transmission ratio. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2022; 15(1): 155–163.

Ye B L, Li L, Yu G H, Liu A, Zhao Y. Dynamics analysis and test of rotary pick-up mechanism for vegetable pot-seedling. Transactions of the CSAM, 2014; 45(6): 70–78.

Ye B L, Tang T, Yu G H, Yi W M, Zhang G F. Dynamic analysis of rotary seedling pick-up mechanism of vegetable transplanting machine with counterweight. Transactions of the CSAM, 2019; 50(8): 117–122. (in Chinese)

Hu S Y, Hu M J, Zhang W Y, Jiang Z. Experimental and simulation study on mechanical properties of stem of pepper hole seedlings. Journal of Chinese Agricultural Mechanization, 2022; 43(3): 9–18. (in Chinese)

Yuan H M. Wheat stalk biomechanical performance test and lodging resistance mechanical evaluation analysis. Master dissertation. Jinzhong: Shanxi Agricultural University, 2005; 46p. (in Chinese)

Yang Q Z, Xu L, Shi X Y, Ibrar A, Mao H P, Hu J P, et al. Design of seedlings separation device with reciprocating movement seedling cups and its controlling system of the full-automatic plug seedling transplanter. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 2018; 147: 131–145.

Yuan Z H, Feng B P, Zhao A Q, Liang A Q. Dynamic analysis and comprehensive evaluation of crop-stem lodging resistance. Transactions of the CSAE, 2002; 18(6): 30–31. (in Chinese)

Zhang G F, Zhao Y, Chen J N. Characteristic analysis of rice plotted-seedling’s motion in air and on turbination-type guide-canal. Journal of Zhejiang University (Engineering Science), 2009; 43(3): 529–534. (in Chinese)

Feng Q C, Wang X, Jiang K, Zhou J J, Zhang R, Ma W. Design and test of key parts on automatic transplanter for flower seedling. Transactions of the CSAE, 2013; 29(6): 21–27. (in Chinese)

Feng J, Qin G, Song W T, Liu Y J. The kinematic analysis and design criteria of the dibble-type transplanters. Transactions of the CSAM, 2002; 33(5): 48–50. (in Chinese)

Yuan T, Wang D, Wen Y S, Zhu S S, Chen Y, Tan Y Z. Design and experiment of seedlings unloading mechanism based on methods of air-blowing and vibration for vegetable transplanter. Transactions of the CSAM, 2019; 50(10): 80–87. (in Chinese)

Ye B L, Zeng G J, Deng B, Yang C L, Liu J K, Yu G H. Design and tests of a rotary plug seedling pick-up mechanism for vegetable automatic transplanter. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2020; 13(3): 70–78.

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the Pepople’s Republic of China. JB/T 10291-2013. Transplanter of dry land plant. Beijing: China Machine Press, 2013. (in Chinese)




Copyright (c) 2025 International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

2023-2026 Copyright IJABE Editing and Publishing Office