Development of a tray transplanting machine using a matrix placement process

Manual transplanting of small blueberry seedlings from tray to tray is a slow and low-production activity because it requires previously trained or specialized people for this labor. In Perú, the transplanting machines have not been very well received by the farming industry, because they do not ensure the grip of all the seedlings and represent a high investment. The objective of this project was to develop a tray-to-tray blueberry seedling transplanter to include a gripper matrix system, which was responsible for increasing the number of seedlings transplanted by displacement. The need to treat small seedlings with the proper care was taken into consideration, which is why it was decided to include a pneumatic thrust system prior to extraction, in order to decrease mechanical stress on the seedling as well. This system included the use of air pressure injected by nozzles directed to the lower structure of the seedling, so as to avoid any damage to it.