Mechanical Planting And Harvesting On Plastic Mulched Beds

Plastic mulches have many advantages for agriculture; however, their use was limited until compatible mechanized planting methods were developed for mulch. Mechanical methods for transplanting or seeding before or after mulch applications are discussed. Transplanting of containerized plants, including use of the water-wheel planter and sowing of ungerminated, pre-germinated, dry-coated, gel-coated or uncoated seeds using plug-mix, gel and gelmix planters are described. Experimental mechanical and semi-harvesters were evaluated for market tomato harvests in Florida in the early 1970s; processing harvesters were modified to harvest market tomatoes from mulched beds in the mid-1970s and a few years later mechanical harvesters were used to harvest pineapples from mulched bed systems in Hawaii. Muletrain type and conveyor belt harvest aids were easily adapted to harvest from mulched beds. ----- Los. abonos vegetates pl{sticos olrecen muchas ventajas para la agricultura. Sin embargo, se utilizaron de manera rnanera lirnitado hasta que se desarrollaron unos metodos de plantaci6n mecanizados que se podian utilizar con los abonos vegetales. Se examina los rnetodos mecanicos de transplantacidn 0 de siembra, tanto antes como despues de la aplicaci6n del abono vegetal. Se describe la transplantaci6n de plantas en recipientes, incluldos el uso de la plantadora de tipo rueda hidraulica y la siernbra de sernillas no-germinadas, pre-germinadas, tratadas en seco, tratadas con gel 0 no-tratadas, utilizando las plantadoras de tipo plug-mix, gel y gel-mix. A principlos de los ailos 70, 51' evalud'ias segadoras mlcanicas y semi-s~adoras experimentales para la cosecha de tomates destinados a los mercados de Florida. A mediados de los anos 70. so modified las segadoras preparadoras existentes afin de poder tratar los tornatos procedentes de semilleros tratados con abono vegetal. Unos anos m"~ tarde, se utilizrfsegadoras mecanicas en Hawaii para cosochar pii'l'as procedentes de semilleros tratados con abono vegetal. Se adapto' ficilmente los equipos auxilares de cosecha de tipo caravana y correa transportadora para cosechar los frutos procedantes de sernilleros tratados con abono vegetal.