“In the U.S., we see that smaller growers experience difficulties recruiting seasonal workers for the transplanting work, and as a result, they wish to automate the process,” says Steve Biles, General Manager of TTA USA, LLC. “Until we launched the PackPlanter S, these growers had to either compromise on transplanting quality or consider investing in large and expensive transplanters that exceeded their production needs. With the PackPlanter S, a better option has become available to them.”
One grower that is using the PackPlanter S is Parker Wilson Farms in Pottsboro, TX. This farm is split between two smaller fields remotely located from each other. The distance between the two locations ruled out the purchase of a single, larger transplanter. Now, one of two branches is accommodated with a PackPlanter S, and plans to purchase another PackPlanter for the second branch have already been discussed.
The PackPlanter S can transplant into trays, packs, and pots in shuttle trays. It offers an easy-to-use interface with built-in self-diagnosis. TTA USA, LLC is currently working to ensure availability of the PackPlanter S to other markets as of October 2017.