Development and Performance Evaluation of a Manually Operated Paddy Transplanter for Root-washed Seedlings

A manually operated 2-row paddy transplanter was developed to transplant root-washed seedlings using the analysed and modified four-bar linkage mechanism.The paddy transplanter consisted of a seedling picking mechanism, transplanting mechanism, power transmission system, seedling tray, handle, and float. The developed transplanter was evaluated under laboratory and field conditions. The effective field capacity of the transplanter was 0.026 ha.h-1 at forward speeds of 0.82 km.h-1. The average height of the seedlings was 197.82 mm, 235.78 mm, 280.50 mm, and 340.60 mm for 20, 25, 30 and 35-day old seedlings, respectively. Average hill-to-hill spacing, average number of seedlings per hill, and average depth of planting were 195.09 mm, 4.12, and 56.88 mm, respectively. Average missing hills, floating hills, and visible damage of the transplanter were 9%, 6%, and 2.5%, respectively, for 25-day old seedlings. Cost of transplanting by the transplanter was ₹ 4,007 per ha, whereas by traditional method (manual transplanting) it was ₹ 12,540 per ha, indicating a saving of ₹ 8,533 per ha.