Growers today are constantly looking to become more efficient in all aspects of running their business, and this includes the technology in which they are investing.

Transplanter companies are no doubt taking note of this. The editors of Greenhouse Grower TECHNOLOGY™ talked with four industry suppliers about some of their newest transplanter models. One thing we noticed was that they are designed to accommodate the varying needs of growers large and small, with a range of gripper sizes and the ability to fit with various finish containers. Some of the companies also offer optional features.

The slideshow and descriptions go into more technical detail on each of these transplanters. In addition, check out this side-by-side comparison of each model.

 

[blackoutgallery id=”128564″]

TEA CUBE600N Transplanter (Hamilton Design & TEA Project/Pischek Industries)

The major advantages of the Cube Transplanter are speed and versatility. The transplanter will accept virtually any plug tray, pack, pot, or hanging basket on the market today. The machine is on casters, making it moveable from one area to another. The transplanting configuration ensures maximum speed of the planting process, and can offer an operating speed equivalent to other models with many more heads. It can also be more cost effective to purchase two Cube transplanters than one much larger machine. This gives the grower the ability to run two production lines side by side with the same or different product or even in tandem where two different varieties or colors can be planted in the same pot/basket, giving minimum downtime and even greater versatility.

RW2100 Wireless Transplanter (Urbinati/AgriNomix)

The Urbinati RW2100 Wireless Transplanter can be optioned to operate in two-plug tray mode. It features wireless communication with fingers, and its pinching spade gripper design does not require push-up pins. This innovative design allows plug tray and finish container changeovers to be accomplished in only a few minutes. It can accommodate
up to 48,000 plugs.

RW2100 Twin Wireless Transplanter (Urbinati/AgriNomix)

The Urbinati RW2100 Twin Wireless Transplanter features a double planting finger gantry and state-of-the-art electronics and wireless technology to dramatically improve flexibility, provide intuitive user interface touchscreen functionality, and increase planting throughput. This innovative design allows plug tray and finish container changeovers to be accomplished in only a few minutes. Depending on the transplanting configuration, this machine can plant up to 1,700 flats per hour, using 72 fingers.

RW1500 Wireless Transplanter (Urbinati/AgriNomix)

The Urbinati RW1500 Transplanter can be optioned to operate in two-plug tray mode. It features wireless communication with fingers, and features electronic planting depth and plug tray height adjustment. This innovative design allows plug tray and finish container changeovers to be accomplished in only a few minutes. It can accommodate up to 24,000 plugs.

PC-16 (Visser Horti Systems)

The PC-16 transplanting machine is designed with flexibility and high output in mind. Available with 15, 20, 25, or 30 grippers, an output of more than 30,000 plants per hour can be reached. The PC-16 has a user-friendly key pad control and color screen display with simple programming features. More than 100 planting combinations can be stored and selected from the on-screen menu in seconds. Due to its unique design, it is not a problem to change quickly between different pot and/or tray sizes, and there is no limitation on the trays being used.

PackPlanter Wireless Automated Transplanter (TTA USA, LLC)

This machine is for larger growers that need versatility, but also need high-speed production in high-density flats. It can be purchased with 24 grippers and then expanded at a later date to as many as 64 grippers for increased production speeds without changing the dimensions of the machine. This machine can also be configured as a left-hand or a right-hand flow. The machine is controlled through a simple touchscreen interface with complete error logging for diagnostics. It also has a router built in for network compatibility for troubleshooting, software updates, and backing up of customers’ data.

PackPlanter Automated Transplanter (TTA USA, LLC)

This machine is for the smaller grower or a large grower needing versatility in a small transplanter. It can be purchased with 12 grippers and then expanded at a later date. Adding up to a total of 36 grippers increases production speeds without changing the dimensions of the machine. This machine can also be configured as a left-hand or a right-hand flow. The machine is controlled through a simple touchscreen interface with complete error logging for diagnostics. It also has a router built in for network compatibility for troubleshooting, software updates, and backing up of customers’ data.

CombiFix Plug Consolidation System (TTA USA, LLC)

The TTA CombiFix is the fastest plug consolidation system for the plug producer, according to the manufacturer. The machine is controlled through a simple touchscreen interface with complete error logging for diagnostics. It also has a router built in for network compatibility for troubleshooting, software updates, and backing up of customers’ data.