Engineering Properties of Some Plug-type Vegetable Seedlings for  Development of Automatic Vegetable Transplanter

Ajit Pralhad Magar; Sachin Madhukar Nalawade; Avdhoot Ashok Walunj; Abhijit Khadatkar; Sanjay Chandrakant Bhangare; Madhukar Nilkanth Bhalekar; Charudatta Anantrao Nimbalkar; Bhaskar Bharat Gaikwad

doi:10.52151/jae2023601.1792

Authors

Ajit Pralhad Magar ICAR-Central institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal- 462 038 Author
Sachin Madhukar Nalawade ICAR-Central institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal- 462 038 Author
Avdhoot Ashok Walunj Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri – 413 722 Author
Abhijit Khadatkar ICAR-Central institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal- 462 038 Author
Sanjay Chandrakant Bhangare Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri – 413 722 Author
Madhukar Nilkanth Bhalekar Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri – 413 722 Author
Charudatta Anantrao Nimbalkar Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri – 413 722 Author
Bhaskar Bharat Gaikwad ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati-413115 Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52151/jae2023601.1792

Keywords:

Engineering properties, machinery, plug type seedling, transplanter, vegetable seedling

Abstract

Transplanting of vegetable seedlings has been referred as a critical and time-consuming activity in vegetable production system. In India, manual transplanting operation of vegetable seedlings is done in most areas due to non-availability of appropriate transplanter, and is drudgery prone. To mechanize this operation, vegetable transplanter needs to be developed considering engineering properties of plug-type seedlings as tomato, brinjal, and cabbage grown in pro-tray. Basic engineering properties of 30-day old seedlings of tomato, brinjal, and cabbage relevant to design of vegetable transplanter were evaluated. The moisture content of whole seedling and root bulb of tomato, brinjal, and cabbage seedlings were 84.3 (± 3.6), 86.7 (± 4.5), and 84.57 (± 3.7)% w.b., respectively. The average respective heights of the seedling were 162.44 (± 19.80), 129.4 (± 16.96), and 114.13 (± 19.98) mm, whereas, canopy major dimensions were (length) 110 ± 15.62, 79.3 ± 16.08, 91.93 ± 14.44 mm, respectively. The coefficient of frictions offered by mild steel were 0.81 (± 0.08), 0.81 (± 0.07), and 0.89 (± 0.04) for tomato, brinjal, and cabbage seedlings, respectively; and adhesion force between pro-tray and seedlings were 1.43 (± 0.40), 0.95 (± 0.22), and 0.41 (± 0.04) N, respectively. The average compression forces of the root bulbs were 6.05 ± 1.53, 5.8 ± 0.56, and 10.26 ± 0.16 N; and average needle penetration forces into root bulbs was 5.18 (± 0.86), 7.83 (± 0.56), and 19.47 (± 0.59) N for tomato, brinjal, and cabbage seedlings, respectively.

Author Biographies

Ajit Pralhad Magar, ICAR-Central institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal- 462 038

Scientist,
Sachin Madhukar Nalawade, ICAR-Central institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal- 462 038

Ph.D. Research Scholar
Avdhoot Ashok Walunj, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri – 413 722

Assistant Professor,
Abhijit Khadatkar, ICAR-Central institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal- 462 038

Scientist,
Sanjay Chandrakant Bhangare, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri – 413 722

Assistant Professor,
Madhukar Nilkanth Bhalekar, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri – 413 722

Associate Professor
Charudatta Anantrao Nimbalkar, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri – 413 722

Associate Professor
Bhaskar Bharat Gaikwad, ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati-413115

Senior Scientist,

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