Automated Paddy Transplanter

Abstract

Rice is the main staple food in Sri Lanka therefore paddy cultivation plays a major role in the Sri Lankan economy. There are two main methods of paddy cultivation which are sowing and planting. Sowing is the current trend. Paddy is sowed due to lack of labour and increased labour cost for planting paddy though planting paddy gives a better harvest. Planting can be done using mechanized or mechanically operated paddy transplanters. These paddy transplanters are not very popular among Sri Lankan farmers due to its initial and operational costs being high and the unavailability of the proper knowledge to operate it. These paddy transplanters are imported form countries like China and India where the working conditions are different comparatively to the working conditions of wet zone paddy fields in Sri Lanka. As a result, these existing paddy transplanters tends to get stuck on mud. This study is done to minimize the limitations of the existing paddy transplanting methods and to incorporate a new design which is more suitable for wet zone paddy fields. The design includes a mechanical arm, a planting tray and a carrier that has the capability to absorb the load of both the planting tray and the mechanical arm. The design is done in order to minimize the environmental pollution and also opening many new areas of study.