Evolution and Technological Development of Automatic Transplanters for Vegetables: A Review

Abstract

The main purpose of technological progress is to enhance the quality of human life. In agriculture, there has been a trend towards automating all stages of production processes. Transplanting seedlings is no exception, as it involves a repetitive and laborious process that demands significant time, depending on the extension to be transplanted. The objective of this review article was to analyze the evolution and technological development of automated transplanter prototypes by bibliometric analysis and a detailed review. Results show that the technological progress in this equipment is based on two main characteristics: (1) physical-mechanical properties of seedlings, which play a crucial role in component design, and (2) control and automation development. This means that efficiencies of over 90% and an error rate of less than 7.6% can be currently obtained for automated transplanter.