Efficacy of Sweet Potato Transplanting Machine for Different Cultivation Systems in Northern China

Abstract

China is the world’s biggest producer of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L). Lam.), and approximately 55% of the global supply is from China. Raised beds (RB) and raised beds mulched with plastic film (RBF) are the two main sweet potato cultivation systems now widely used in northern China. Planting placement of multiple nodes buried in shallow soil layers is additionally required for the sweet potato cultivation to achieve higher yields and reduce pests and diseases in this area, which increases the difficulty of transplanting mechanically. Therefore, a 2CGFS-2 compound sweet potato transplanter was developed, and the key parameters of slips transplanting apparatus were designed in this paper. Furthermore, its performance was investigated over two years under four treatments with different sweet potato varieties (Jishu 26 and Pushu 32) and cultivation systems (RBF and RB). The results showed that the missing seedling rate and qualified rate of transplanting population for each treatment by using 2CGFS-2 compound transplanter were <1.2% and >95.0% in both 2020 and 2021, while the mean values of the plant spacing variation coefficient and the qualified rate of transplanting depth during 2020–2021 were 4.53% and 96.28%, respectively. The length of the sweet potato slip inserted into the soil by the 2CGFS-2 compound sweet potato transplanter was almost the same, ca. 195 mm. The accurate placement of the sweet potato slips reduced the differences in tuber weight per plant caused by manual transplanting. These results are of considerable importance for RB and RBF sweet potato cultivation systems.

Phytoremediation Properties of Sweet Potato for Soils Contaminated by Heavy Metals in South Kazakhstan

“…Sweet potato plants were used in the experiment. Propagation and cultivation of the sweet potato were carried out using 25-30 cm long cuttings and planting them in a boat-shaped orientation relative to the ridges at a depth of 7-10 cm [29]. Cuttings from sweet potato plants were planted in the farmsteads of local residents at 10-15 plants per 30 cm ridge.…”

Response of Crop Performance and Yield of Spring Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam) as Affected by Mechanized Transplanting Properties

“…Since the Huang-Huai-Hai region of China has limited water resources, there is a need for sweet potato transplanters in this area to accomplish the planting operation for raised beds mulched with plastic film system and the bare raised bed system. After several years of development, sweet potato transplanters with a slip taking-planting mechanism have been developed [27,28], and some have now been manufactured commercially. These transplanters have encouraged the development and extension of sweet potato production in Huang-Huai-Hai region of China, but the literature contains little information about their impact on planting properties and crop performance [29,30].…”

Design and experiment of the side insertion horizontal transplanting device for sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) seedlings on mulch film

“…From this, it can be calculated that the nearest dwell angle of the cam is 75°. According to the specific operation requirements of the transplanting claws that can realize side insertion horizontal transplanting of sweet potato seedlings and the relevant oscillating follower cam design criteria [27] , the main design parameters of the cam are obtained, as listed in Table 1. In order to ensure the stability of the push rod movement and the accuracy of the work, the cosine acceleration motion regularity is selected as the push rod motion regularity.…”