Kinematic analysis of a hopper-type dibbling mechanism for a 2.6 kW two-row pepper transplanter

In this study, suitable dimensions were determined for the major design parameters of a gear-driven hopper-type dibbling mechanism using kinematic analysis, to achieve the required planting intervals and depths. The mechanism consists of three main parts: a primary arm, two connecting arms, and two dibbling hoppers. Based on the kinematic analysis, six candidate combinations of the arm length were derived from the recommended gear contact ratios. The most favorable combination for the dibbling mechanism was a 240-mm-long primary arm, 70-mm-long connecting arms, and 153-mm-long dibbling hoppers. The power consumption for the optimized dibbling mechanism was calculated to be 28.96 W without soil interaction, and measured as 40.91 W during transplanting. The mechanism provides a planting speed of 2 seedlings per second with seedling uprightness and planting success rate of 90°±3.26° and 91.8 %, respectively. The optimized dibbling mechanism was demonstrated to quickly and accurately transplant seedlings with low power consumption, which makes it an attractive and economical option for mechanization of the pepper cultivation process.