Implications of biometric properties of chilli seedlings for mechanical transplantation

Abstract

The biometric properties of chilli seedlings, including physical attributes such as height, weight, stem diameter, and size, as well as mechanical properties like stem compressive strength and the coefficient of friction, were studied for their relevance in the design and selection of components for chilli transplanters. The seedlings, aged 25, 30, and 35 days, were grown in pro-trays with truncated square pyramid cells (120 cells) and procured from a nursery. The maximum recorded values for seedling height, weight, stem diameter, and size were 20.52 cm, 11.4 g, 2.31 mm, and 12.52 cm, respectively. The physical properties increased with seedling age, with a notable acceleration after 30 days. Among the age groups, 35-day-old seedlings exhibited the highest average compressive strength of 16.36 N. However, the coefficient of friction showed minimal variation with age. The findings indicate that the biometric properties of chilli seedlings evolve significantly with age, highlighting their importance for optimizing mechanical transplantation systems.