Development of the Planting Machine for Allium×wakegi Araki Bulbs and Evaluation of the Accuracy of Machine Planting

The planting of Allium×wakegi Araki bulbs is physically strenuous because it is performed manually in a squatting position. Therefore, a reduction in labor effort and an improvement in planting efficiency are needed.To address this demand, a new bulb planting machine has been developed. The new model has been downsized, and is lightweight in comparison to an existing machine. Structural improvements and the development of a new planting mechanism have been made to the existing model.The main features of the new machine are as follows. A constant planting depth is realized by using a "soil leveling plate," which has been newly developed on the stand of the seedling or planting unit. No bulbs fall out from the connected paper pot and were caught in the machinery, which has been achieved by making the step on the machine smaller and by changing the structure of the "seedling guide plate." The new machine can be used to plant bulbs on the bottom of ditches, which is a local planting method. This has been made possible by narrowing the "planting unit" and attaching newly developed accessory parts. The accuracy of bulb planting by the new machine has been evaluated. The precision of planting depth has been significantly increased. In addition, none of the bulbs fell from the connected paper pot and became caught in the machine.These results indicate that this new machine is of practical use.