Design and Test of a Low-Damage Garlic Seeding Device Based on Rigid–Flexible Coupling

Siyuan Wang, Yubai Meng, Yongjian Wang (), Hua Li and Xiaodong Zhang
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Siyuan Wang: College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210031, China
Yubai Meng: College of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
Yongjian Wang: College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210031, China
Hua Li: College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210031, China
Xiaodong Zhang: College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210031, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 19, 1-19

Abstract: In conventional mechanized garlic seeding process, seed remains a persistent challenge that is difficult to avoid. This study proposes a solution by designing and testing a garlic seeding device based on a rigid–flexible coupling mechanism, aimed at minimizing seed damage during sowing. The seeding pocket was constructed from a flexible metal sheet, which served as its structural foundation. A slider moving along a fixed track enabled the retraction and release of the pocket, thereby facilitating seed collection and discharge. The effects of pocket radius, rotational speed of seed discharge disc, and thickness of metal sheet on the stress of garlic seeds were investigated through the finite element method. Subsequently, an experimental bench was set up to analyze the effects of influence of these parameters on seed damage rate, single-seed rate, and leakage rate. Results demonstrated that under optimal parameters—a pocket radius of 12 mm, a seed discharge disc rotational speed of 0.21 rad/s, and a metal sheet thickness of 0.15 mm—the mechanism achieved a single-seed rate of 78.4%, a leakage rate of 11.4%, and a maximum stress on garlic seeds of only 0.535 MPa. Notably, this stress level was well below the damage threshold of garlic seeds, resulting in zero damage that outperformed conventional rigid seeding devices. These findings demonstrate the mechanism’s strong potential to preserve seed integrity, although the overall seeding performance remains modest and warrants further optimization in future designs.

Keywords: garlic; seeding device; rigid–flexible coupling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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