Vol. 12, Issue 4 (2023)

Author(s):
B Raj Kiran, B Sanjeeva Reddy, C Ramana, HV Hema Kumar and Y Bindiya

Abstract:
Vegetable transplanters are characterized based on the type of seedlings used for conveying. Mostly bare root seedlings are used for conventional transplanting. Semi-automatic transplanters use both plug and bare root seedlings, whereas automatic transplanters use plug or pot seedling. In automatic vegetable transplanters, adoption of a suitable pickup mechanism for picking seedlings from portrays were complex. Hence a simple plant carrier type of paper pot seedlings conveying unit was developed to cutdown the complexity and for better singulation while ejecting the seedlings in to planting mechanism. Conveying unit consists of continuous rotating chain driven by a driver sprocket and driver sprocket was driven from the planting unit. Plant carriers were fixed to a center distance of 5 cm throughout the length of chain. Each plant carrier accommodates single seedling and carriers 72 seedling for one row. The developed unit was mounted on soil bin trolley and the effect of forward speed of machine (V1= 0.16, V2 = 0.26 and V3 = 0.42 ms^-1), speed ratio between dibbling and conveying unit (S1=0.83, S2=1 and S3 = 1.16) and angle of inclination of conveyor (θ₁= 0º, θ₂ = 10º and θ₃ = 20º) were studied for conveying efficiency. Conveying efficiency decreased with increase in both machine forward speed and conveyor inclination; and increased with increase in the speed ratio. At gear ratio S1= 0.83, 0º conveyor inclination had higher efficiency of 100% at forward speeds of 0.16 and 0.26 ms^-1 and the efficiency decreased to 85% with increase in speed from 0.26 to 0.42 ms^-1. Minimum conveying efficiency of 77.5% was observed at 20º angle of conveyor at 0.42 ms^-1. At gear ratios S2 =1 and S3 = 1.16, maximum efficiency of 100% was observed at 0º conveyor inclination at forward speed of 0.16 and 0.26 ms^-1. Minimum conveying efficiency at 0.42 kmh^-1increased from 77.5% at gear ratio S1 =0.83 to 80% at S3 = 1.16. Increase in the conveying efficiency was due to decrease in the conveyor speeds at increased speed ratios.