1.Title
Innovative solution for planting forest seedlings
2.Short description
INMA Bucharest, National Research and Development Institute for Machines and Installations Designed for Agriculture and Food Industry, Romania;
The equipment is a mounted type and mainly consists of: frame, planting mechanism, compaction mechanism, furrow opener, and seedling boxes.
Know-how offered: experimental model validated in relevant conditions (TRL 6), technical documentation, user manual, operation and maintenance training, as well as RDI services for optimization and technological maturation up to TRL 9.
Main advantage: mechanization of the planting process, reduction of labor requirements, increased productivity, and improved planting uniformity.
Field of application (potential): afforestation and reforestation; protective forest shelterbelts; orchards; nurseries; green infrastructure; landscaping.
3.Full description of the solution
The equipment enables the reduction of working time, standardization of planting distances, increased productivity, and reduced physical effort of operators.
Current state of the art: manual planting.
Main technical characteristics of the equipment: tractor-mounted equipment for 65–100 HP tractors; skid-type furrow opener; overall dimensions (L × W × H) 3000 × 2000 × 2300 mm, weight 720 kg; number of planting sections: 1 or 2; maximum planting depth 300 mm; distance between seedlings in a row for 5 planting schemes (0.5; 0.75; 1; 1.5; 3 m); semi-automatic planting mode; working speed from 0.25 to 3 km/h; planting capacity 11,500–15,000 seedlings/shift.
The technology is available for demonstrations and collaborations regarding industrialization, optimization, and market introduction.
Justification of the selected type(s) of cooperation: cooperation with SMEs and other economic and administrative legal entities in national/international projects in order to reach (TRL6) demonstration of the model functionality under relevant operating conditions or up to TRL9.
This type of cooperation/partnership will be in accordance with the specifications and eligible fields of national and international funding schemes that can support the market introduction of innovative equipment and technologies to provide services with multiple benefits (economic, environmental, and social).
4.Advantages and Innovations
• mechanization of an operation traditionally performed manually;
• significant reduction in labor requirements;
• high productivity compared to conventional methods;
• superior planting uniformity;
• possibility of configuration for different types of seedlings and planting schemes;
• compatibility with standard agricultural tractors;
• reduction of operational costs;
• possibility of adaptation for various agroforestry and horticultural applications.
5.Keywords
• seedling planting mechanization; mechanized green infrastructure planting; orchard planting; afforestation and gully erosion prevention; rehabilitation of degraded land;
Market keywords: tree planting; planting equipment; establishment of protective green infrastructure; pollution reduction; recreation islands.
6.Partner sought
• manufacturers of agricultural, forestry, horticultural, or specialized equipment interested in the industrialization and commercialization of the technology, as well as its maturation up to TRL 9 through European and/or national projects;
• small and medium-sized farmers, agricultural cooperatives, producer associations, and economic operators for validation under real conditions, functional demonstrations, and provision of specialized services;
• research institutes, experimental stations, and RDI units in the agricultural, forestry, or fruit-growing sectors for optimization and technological validation;
• landscaping and green infrastructure companies for technology transfer and commercial implementation;
• public authorities and entities involved in afforestation, rural development, and environmental protection projects.
7.Development stage
Available for demonstration
8.IPR status
IPR applied for but not yet granted
9.Type of partnership sought
Commercial agreement