Transplanter

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of suppressing a leaf of a pot seedling from being caught between a seedling box and a seedling receiving member and suppressing the leaf from entering an adjacent receiving groove when pressing out the pot seedling from the seedling box in a transplanter.SOLUTION: A transplanter includes a pressing mechanism, a seedling receiving member 51, and a leaf avoiding member 90. The pressing mechanism presses out a pot seedling N from a seedling box at a predetermined position on a conveyance passage of the seeding box. The seedling receiving member 51 receives the pot seedling N pressed out by the pressing mechanism. In pressing out the pot seedling N from the seedling box, the leaf avoiding member 90 contacts a foliage part N2 of the pot seedling N to keep the foliage part N2 away from the seedling receiving member 51. The transplanter 1 presses out the pot seedling N from the seedling box in a state where the leaf eliminating avoiding 90 avoids the foliage part N2. Thereby, the transplanter can suppress a leaf of the pot seedling N from being caught between the seedling box and the seedling receiving member 51 and suppress the leaf from entering an adjacent receiving groove.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transplanter. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a transplanter that removes pot seedlings having root balls from a seedling box and transplants them into a field. A conventional transplanter is described in, for example, Patent Document 1. This type of transplanter is equipped with a push-out mechanism that pushes the pot seedlings out of the seedling box. The push-out mechanism pushes the pot seedlings out of the seedling box by inserting a push-out rod into a hole provided in the bottom of the seedling box. The pushed-out pot seedlings are received in a receiving groove of a seedling receiving member 51 arranged in front of the seedling box. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-37687 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the leaves of leafy vegetable seedlings such as Chinese cabbage tend to spread out laterally as they grow. For this reason, when pushing potted seedlings of leafy vegetables out of the seedling box, the leaves may get caught between the seedling receiving member 51 and the seedling box, or the leaves may get into the adjacent receiving groove. If this happens, the leaves of the potted seedling may get caught, causing the root ball to collapse, or the potted seedling may not be properly held in the seedling receiving member.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a technology that can prevent leaves of pot seedlings from getting caught between the seedling box and the seedling receiving member, or from getting into the adjacent receiving groove, when pot seedlings are pushed out of the seedling box in a transplanter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the first invention of the present application is a transplanter that removes pot seedlings from seedling boxes and transplants them into a field, comprising a seedling box transport section that transports the seedling boxes along a predetermined transport path, a push-out mechanism that pushes the pot seedlings out of the seedling boxes at an push-out position on the transport path, a seedling receiving member that receives the pot seedlings pushed out by the push-out mechanism, and a leaf guard member that contacts the stems and leaves of the pot seedlings at the push-out position and moves the stems and leaves away from the seedling receiving member, and the push-out mechanism pushes the pot seedlings out of the seedling boxes with the leaf guard member moving the stems and leaves away from the seedling receiving member.

[0007] The second invention of the present application is a transplanter of the first invention, wherein the seedling receiving member moves back and forth between a receiving position where the pot seedling pushed out of the seedling box is received and a transfer position where the pot seedling is handed over to a subsequent stage, and the leaf guard member moves together with the seedling receiving member when the seedling receiving member moves from the transfer position to the receiving position, thereby coming into contact with the stem and leaf portion.

[0008] A third aspect of the present invention is the transplanter of the first or second aspect, wherein the leaf shielding member contacts the stem and leaf portion while moving in a direction away from the seedling tray.

[0009] The fourth invention of the present application is a transplanter of any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the leaf protection member moves in the pushing direction in conjunction with the pushing mechanism while in contact with the stem and leaf portion.

[0010] The fifth invention of the present application is a transplanter of any one of the first to fourth inventions, further comprising a spring that urges the leaf guard member from a contact position in which it contacts the stems and leaves toward a standby position in which it does not contact the stems and leaves. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the first to fifth aspects of the present application, the pot seedlings can be pushed out of the seedling box while keeping the stems and leaves of the pot seedlings away from the seedling receiving member. This makes it possible to prevent the leaves of the pot seedlings from getting caught between the seedling box and the seedling receiving member, or from getting into the adjacent receiving groove. As a result, it is possible to increase the success rate of transferring the pot seedlings from the seedling box to the seedling receiving member.

[0012] In particular, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the leaf shielding member can be brought into contact with the stems and leaves by utilizing the movement of the seedling receiving member.

[0013] In particular, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the leaf shielding member comes into contact with the stems and leaves while moving in a direction from the base of the stems and leaves to the leaf tips, thereby making it possible to suppress damage to the stems and leaves caused by the leaf shielding member.

[0014] In particular, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the potted seedlings are pushed out of the seedling tray by the pushing-out mechanism, the stem and leaf parts can be moved in the pushing-out direction without being hindered by the leaf-screening member.

[0015] In particular, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, after the potted seedling is pushed out, the leaf shielding member can be returned from the contact position to the standby position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a seedling box holding pot seedlings. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the transplanter. [Figure 4] 1 is an oblique view of a seedling tray transport section, a push-out mechanism, and a seedling inversion mechanism. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a side view of the seedling tray transport section, the push-out mechanism, and the seedling inversion mechanism. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state when pot seedlings are pushed out of a seedling tray. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state when pot seedlings are pushed out of a seedling tray. [Figure 8]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state when pot seedlings are pushed out of a seedling tray. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state when pot seedlings are pushed out of a seedling tray. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state when pot seedlings are pushed out of a seedling tray. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] <1.About seedling trays> First, the seedling box 9 used in the transplanter 1 of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the seedling box 9. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the seedling box 9 holding pot seedlings N. This seedling box 9 is a container that holds a plurality of pot seedlings N. The pot seedlings N are, for example, seedlings of leafy vegetables such as Chinese cabbage. However, the pot seedlings N may also be seedlings of bok choy, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, or the like.

[0019] The seedling box 9 has a generally rectangular outer shape when viewed from above. In the transplanter 1 described below, the seedling box 9 is transported in a conveying direction which is its longitudinal direction. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the seedling box 9 has a plurality of seedling chambers 91. The plurality of seedling chambers 91 are arranged at intervals in the conveying direction and in the left-right direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.

[0020] The seedling chamber 91 is a recess that is recessed downward from the top surface of the seedling tray 9. The seedling chamber 91 is, for example, shaped like a truncated cone whose diameter gradually decreases downward. A bottom hole (not shown) is provided in the bottom surface of each seedling chamber 91. The bottom hole is, for example, a Y-shaped notch. However, the bottom hole may be a cross-shaped notch or a circular through hole.

[0021] The seedling box 9 also has a number of transport holes 92 on both the left and right sides. The transport holes 92 are holes for transporting the seedling box 9 in the transplanter 1 described below. The multiple transport holes 92 are arranged at intervals in the transport direction. The intervals between the transport holes 92 in the transport direction are the same as the intervals between the seedling chambers 91 in the transport direction.

[0022] The pot seedlings N are obtained by putting soil into each seedling chamber 91 of the seedling box 9 and sowing and raising the seedlings. As shown in FIG. 2, the pot seedlings N have a root ball portion N1 and a stem and leaf portion N2. The root ball portion N1 is made up of the soil contained in the seedling chamber 91 and the roots of the seedling extending into the soil. The stem and leaf portion N2 is made up of the stems and leaves extending upward from the root ball portion N1. The seedling box 9 is placed on the transplanter 1 with a plurality of pot seedlings N held in it.

[0023] <2. Configuration of transplanter> 3 is a side view of the transplanter 1. The transplanter 1 is a device that travels through a field G, sequentially takes out pot seedlings N from seedling boxes 9, and transplants them into the field G. The transplanter 1 includes a main body 10, a seedling box placement table 20, a seedling box transport section 30, a push-out mechanism 40, a seedling inversion mechanism 50, a lateral feed belt 60, a delivery claw 70, and a planting section 80.

[0024] The main body 10 has an engine 11 and four wheels 12. The four wheels 12 include two front wheels and two rear wheels. The wheels 12 rotate by the power output from the engine 11. This causes the main body 10 to move forward. The seedling box transport unit 30, the push-out mechanism 40, the seedling inversion mechanism 50, the lateral feed belt 60, the sending claws 70, and the planting unit 80, which will be described later, operate by the power transmitted from the engine 11 via the PTO shaft or the power transmitted from the wheels 12.

[0025] The main body 10 also has a seat 13 and an operation unit 14. The seat 13 and the operation unit 14 are provided at the rear of the main body 10. The operator operates the operation unit 14 while seated on the seat 13 to control the transplanter 1.

[0026] The seedling box placing table 20 is a table on which the seedling boxes 9 before or after transplanting are placed. The seedling box placing table 20 is provided near the seat 13. When using the transplanter 1, an operator seated on the seat 13 takes out the seedling boxes 9 before transplanting from the seedling box placing table 20 and sets them in the seedling box transport section 30. The operator also takes out the seedling boxes 9, which have been emptied after the pot seedlings N have been transplanted, from the seedling box transport section 30 and stores them on the seedling box placing table 20.

[0027] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the seedling box transport section 30, the push-out mechanism 40, and the seedling inverting mechanism 50. Fig. 5 is a side view of the seedling box transport section 30, the push-out mechanism 40, and the seedling inverting mechanism 50.

[0028] The seedling box transport unit 30 is a mechanism that transports the seedling boxes 9 along a predetermined transport path within the transplanter 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the seedling box transport unit 30 has a transport surface 31 and a seedling box sending mechanism 32. The transport surface 31 extends diagonally downward toward the front from a position in front of the operation unit 14. When using the transplanter 1, an operator sets the seedling box 9 holding a plurality of pot seedlings N on the transport surface 31.

[0029] The seedling box feeding mechanism 32 is a mechanism that intermittently transports the seedling boxes 9 set on the transport surface 31 at a predetermined pitch. The seedling box feeding mechanism 32 transports the seedling boxes 9 by engaging its claws with the transport holes 92 of the seedling boxes 9 and moving the claws downward. The transport pitch of the seedling boxes 9 (the distance the seedling boxes 9 are transported by one transport operation) is the same as the interval between the multiple seedling chambers 91 in the transport direction.

[0030] The push-out mechanism 40 is a mechanism that pushes out the pot seedlings N from the seedling box 9 at a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as the "push-out position") on the transport path of the seedling box 9 by the seedling box transport section 30. The push-out mechanism 40 has a plurality of push-out rods 41. The multiple push-out rods 41 are arranged at regular intervals in the left-right direction. The multiple push-out rods 41 are also integrated by connecting sections 42 extending in the left-right direction. The interval between adjacent push-out rods 41 is the same as the interval between the seedling chambers 91 in the seedling box 9 in the left-right direction.

[0031] The seedling box 9 is transported approximately vertically downward at the push-out position. At this time, the position of the seedling box 9 is such that the root ball portion N1 of the pot seedlings N is arranged at the rear and the stem and leaf portion N2 is arranged at the front. When the multiple seedling chambers 91 are arranged at the push-out position, the push-out mechanism 40 pushes the multiple push-out rods 41 forward. Then, the push-out rods 41 are inserted into the multiple seedling chambers 91 through the bottom holes, and the pot seedlings N are pushed forward from each seedling chamber 91. As a result, the multiple pot seedlings N lined up in the left-right direction (one row of pot seedlings N) are removed from the seedling box 9.

[0032] The seedling inversion mechanism 50 is a mechanism that inverts the position of the pot seedlings N taken out of the seedling box 9 and transfers them to the lateral feed belt 60. As shown in FIG. 4, the seedling inversion mechanism 50 has a seedling receiving member 51. The seedling receiving member 51 reciprocates between a receiving position in front of the push-out position and a delivery position below the receiving position in accordance with the transport cycle of the seedling box 9. When the pot seedlings N are pushed out of the seedling box 9, the seedling receiving member 51 is positioned at the receiving position.

[0033] The seedling receiving member 51 has a plurality of receiving grooves 52 aligned in the left-right direction. A plurality of pot seedlings N pushed out of the seedling box 9 are held by the seedling receiving member 51 with their root balls N1 inserted into the receiving grooves 52. The seedling receiving member 51 then moves from the receiving position to the delivery position, and drops the plurality of pot seedlings N onto the lateral feed belt 60. At that time, the seedling receiving member 51 is turned over, so that the pot seedlings N are placed on the lateral feed belt 60 with their root balls N1 in front and their stems and leaves N2 in the rear.

[0034] The lateral feed belts 60 are mechanisms for transporting multiple pot seedlings N from left to right. The transplanter 1 of this embodiment has a pair of lateral feed belts 60 aligned on the left and right. The left lateral feed belt 60 transports multiple pot seedlings N that have fallen from the receiving groove 52 in the left half of the seedling receiving member 51 to the left. The right lateral feed belt 60 transports multiple pot seedlings N that have fallen from the receiving groove 52 in the right half of the seedling receiving member 51 to the right.

[0035] Each of the lateral feed belts 60 is a circular flat belt stretched between a pair of pulleys. The lateral feed belts 60 rotate with the rotation of the pulleys, and transport the potted seedlings N placed on the upper surface in a horizontal direction (rightward or leftward).

[0036] The sending claws 70 are a mechanism for sending downward the pot seedlings N transported by the lateral feed belts 60. The sending claws 70 are provided near the ends of the left and right lateral feed belts 60 in the transport direction, respectively. The sending claws 70 reciprocate up and down between an elevated position where their lower ends are higher than the upper surface of the lateral feed belts 60 and a descended position where their lower ends are lower than the upper surface of the lateral feed belts 60 in accordance with the transport cycle of the pot seedlings N.

[0037] When the pot seedling N transported by the lateral feed belt 60 falls downward from the end of the lateral feed belt 60, the sending claws 70 move from the raised position to the lowered position and come into contact with the pot seedling N from above. As a result, the pot seedling N is sent downward and the pot seedling N stands upright. Thereafter, the pot seedling N passes between a pair of sending rollers and is dropped into a planting cup 81 located below.

[0038] The planting unit 80 is a mechanism for planting pot seedlings N in a field G. The planting unit 80 is provided below a pair of sending rollers. As shown in FIG. 3, the planting unit 80 has a planting cup 81. The planting cup 81 is a cup whose lower end can be opened and closed. The planting cup 81 moves up and down reciprocally between a receiving position below the sending rollers and a planting position further below the receiving position.

[0039] At the receiving position, the lower end of the planting cup 81 is closed. At the receiving position, the planting cup 81 receives the potted seedling N from the sending roller. At the planting position, the lower end of the planting cup 81 is inserted into the field G and the lower end opens. As a result, a hole is formed in the field G and the potted seedling N falls from the planting cup 81 into the hole. As a result, the potted seedling N is planted in the field G.

[0040] <3. Leaf protection materials> 6 to 10 are diagrams showing in chronological order the state when the pot seedlings N are pushed out from the seedling box 9. As shown in Fig. 6 to 10, the transplanter 1 of this embodiment further includes a leaf protection member 90 in addition to the above-mentioned configuration. The leaf protection member 90 is a member for moving the stem and leaf portion N2 of the pot seedling N upward when the pot seedlings N are pushed out from the seedling box 9 to the seedling receiving member 51, thereby preventing the leaves of the pot seedlings N from getting caught in the seedling receiving member 51.

[0041] The leaf shielding member 90 is formed, for example, by bending a metal rod-shaped member. The leaf shielding member 90 has a contact portion that can come into contact with the stem and leaf portion N2 of the potted seedlings N. The contact portion of the leaf shielding member 90 extends linearly in the left-right direction from a position to the left of the leftmost potted seedling N to a position to the right of the rightmost potted seedling N.

[0042] The leaf shielding member 90 is supported rotatably relative to the frame of the main body 10. More specifically, the leaf shielding member 90 is supported rotatably about a rotation shaft 93 extending in the left-right direction. The leaf shielding member 90 is rotatable between a contact position (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 8) where it contacts the stem and leaf portion N2 of the potted seedling N, and a standby position (position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 8) where it does not contact the stem and leaf portion N2.

[0043] 8, the transplanter 1 has a spring 94. The spring 94 is, for example, a torsion spring screwed onto the rotating shaft 93. The spring 94 biases the leaf shielding member 90 from the contact position toward the standby position. Therefore, when no external force is applied to the leaf shielding member 90, the leaf shielding member 90 is disposed in the standby position.

[0044] When the potted seedlings N held in the seedling box 9 are transported to the push-out position, the above-mentioned seedling receiving member 51 rises from the delivery position to the receiving position. At this time, as shown in Fig. 6, the upper surface of the seedling receiving member 51 comes into contact with the leaf guard member 90. Then, by being pushed by the seedling receiving member 51, the leaf guard member 90 also rotates upward about the rotation shaft 93. As a result, the leaf guard member 90 moves from the standby position shown in Fig. 6 to the contact position shown in Fig. 7.

[0045] 8 shows a state in which the pot seedling N is placed at the pushing position, the seedling receiving member 51 is placed at the receiving position, and the leaf guard member 90 is placed at the contact position. As shown in Fig. 8, when the seedling receiving member 51 is placed at the receiving position, the leaf guard member 90, which has risen together with the seedling receiving member 51, comes into contact with the stem and leaf portion N2 of the pot seedling N. Then, the stem and leaf portion N2 is rolled up upward, so that the stem and leaf portion N2 is moved away from the receiving groove 52 of the seedling receiving member 51.

[0046] In this state, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the pushing mechanism 40 protrudes the pushing rod 41 forward to push the pot seedling N forward from the seedling box 9. At this time, if the pot seedling N is pushed out with the leaves of the pot seedling N still stuck between the seedling box 9 and the seedling receiving member 51, or with the leaves of the pot seedling N still in the adjacent receiving groove 52, the root ball portion N1 of the pot seedling N may collapse due to the leaves getting caught. Also, the pushed out pot seedling N may not be properly held in the seedling receiving member 51.

[0047] However, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8, the stem and leaf portion N2 of the pot seedling N is kept upward and away from the seedling receiving member 51 by the leaf guard member 90. Therefore, the pot seedling N can be pushed forward while preventing the leaves of the pot seedling N from being caught between the seedling box 9 and the seedling receiving member 51 or from entering the adjacent receiving groove 52. As a result, the success rate of the transfer of the pot seedling N from the seedling box 9 to the seedling receiving member 51 can be increased.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 8, the rotation shaft 93 of the leaf shielding member 90 is located below the stem and leaf portion N2 of the pot seedling N arranged at the extrusion position. Therefore, when the contact portion of the leaf shielding member 90 contacts the stem and leaf portion N2, the contact portion moves diagonally forward instead of directly upward. Therefore, the leaf shielding member 90 contacts the stem and leaf portion N2 while moving in a direction away from the seedling box 9 toward the front. That is, the leaf shielding member 90 contacts the stem and leaf portion N2 while moving in a direction from the base of the stem and leaf portion N2 toward the leaf tip. This makes it possible to suppress damage to the stem and leaf portion N2 caused by the leaf shielding member 90 contacting the stem and leaf portion N2.

[0049] In addition, when the push rod 41 is pushed forward, the rotating shaft 93 of the leaf shielding member 90 is connected to the connecting portion 42 of the push-out mechanism 40 via the connecting member 95 shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, when the push-out mechanism 40 pushes the push rod 41 forward, the push rod 41, the connecting portion 42, the connecting member 95, the rotating shaft 93, and the leaf shielding member 90 move forward as a unit. Therefore, the leaf shielding member 90 moves forward (in the pushing direction) together with the push rod 41 while being in contact with the stem and leaf portion N2. This allows the stem and leaf portion N2 to move forward without being hindered by the leaf shielding member 90 when pushing the pot seedling N out of the seedling box 9. As a result, the root ball portion N1 of the pot seedling N can be more effectively prevented from collapsing.

[0050] When the pushing out of the pot seedlings N by the pushing rod 41 is completed, the leaf shield member 90 is disposed at a position offset forward from the upper surface of the seedling receiving member 51. Then, the urging force of the spring 94 causes the leaf shield member 90 to rotate from the contact position shown in Fig. 9 to the standby position shown in Fig. 10. This allows the leaf shield member 90 to return to the standby position while avoiding the pushed out pot seedlings N.

[0051] <4. Modifications> Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4, the seedling box transport section 30 has guide grooves 33 for guiding the seedling boxes 9 at the left and right ends of the transport surface 31. If the leaves of the pot seedlings N get caught in the guide grooves 33, there is a risk that the pot seedlings N will be pushed out by the pushing mechanism 40 with the stem and leaf parts N2 still caught. Therefore, a guide plate may be provided to close the gap between the guide grooves 33 and the seedling boxes 9. By providing such a guide plate, it is possible to prevent the leaves of the pot seedlings N from getting caught in the gap between the guide grooves 33 and the seedling boxes 9. Therefore, the pot seedlings N can be pushed out more smoothly.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 4, the seedling box transport section 30 has a grass dividing board 34 in the center of the transport surface 31. If leaves of the pot seedlings N are caught in the gap between the support part supporting this grass dividing board 34 and the seedling box 9, there is a risk that the pot seedlings N will be pushed out by the pushing mechanism 40 with the stem and leaf part N2 still stuck. Therefore, a guide plate that blocks this gap may be provided. By providing such a guide plate, it is possible to prevent the leaves of the pot seedlings N from being caught in the gap between the support part supporting the grass dividing board 34 and the seedling box 9. Therefore, the pot seedlings N can be pushed out more smoothly.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the leaf guard member 90 moves from the standby position to the contact position in conjunction with the seedling receiving member 51. However, the leaf guard member 90 may move from the standby position to the contact position separately from the seedling receiving member 51.

[0055] In the above embodiment, a so-called two-row planting transplanter 1 capable of simultaneously transplanting two rows of pot seedlings N on the left and right sides has been described. However, the transplanter of the present invention is not limited to two-row planting. The transplanter of the present invention may be, for example, a one-row, four-row, six-row, or eight-row planting transplanter.

[0056] In the above embodiment, a so-called riding type transplanter 1 that is operated by an operator while riding on the transplanter has been described. However, the transplanter of the present invention is not limited to the riding type. The transplanter of the present invention may be a so-called walking type transplanter that is operated by an operator walking along with the transplanter.

[0057] In addition, the detailed configuration of the transplanter may differ from the shapes shown in the drawings of the present application. Furthermore, the elements appearing in the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications may be appropriately combined within the scope of not causing any contradiction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 transplanter 9 Seedling box 10 Main body 11 Engine 12 wheels 13 seats 14 Control section 20 Seedling tray stand 30 Seedling box transport section 31 Conveying surface 32 Seedling box feeding mechanism 33 Guide groove 34 minute grass board 40 Extrusion mechanism 41 Extrusion rod 42 Connecting part 50 Seedling inversion mechanism 51 Seedling holder parts 52 Receiving groove 60 Cross feed belt 70 Delivery jaw 80 Planting Section 81 Planting Cup 90 Leaf protection material 91 Nae-muro 92 Transport hole 93 Rotating shaft 94 Spring 95 Connection parts G Field N Potted seedlings N1 root ball part N2 Stem and leaf part

Claims

1. A transplanter that removes potted seedlings from a seedling box and transplants them into a field, A seedling box transport unit that transports the seedling box along a predetermined transport path; A push-out mechanism that pushes out the potted seedlings from the seedling box at a push-out position on the conveying path; A seedling receiving member for receiving the pot seedling pushed out by the pushing mechanism; a leaf shielding member that contacts the stem and leaf portion of the potted seedling at the pushing position to move the stem and leaf portion away from the seedling receiving member; Equipped with The push-out mechanism pushes out the pot seedlings from the seedling tray while the leaf shielding member keeps the stem and leaf portion away from the seedling receiving member.

2. 2. The transplanter of claim 1, The seedling receiving member reciprocates between a receiving position for receiving the potted seedling pushed out from the seedling box and a transfer position for transferring the potted seedling to a subsequent stage, A transplanter in which the leaf guard member moves together with the seedling receiving member when the seedling receiving member moves from the delivery position to the receiving position, thereby contacting the stem and leaf portion.

3. A transplanter according to claim 1 or 2, The leaf shielding member contacts the stem and leaf portion while moving in a direction away from the seedling tray.

4. A transplanter according to claim 1 or 2, A transplanter in which the leaf shielding member moves in the pushing direction in conjunction with the pushing mechanism while in contact with the stem and leaf portion.

5. A transplanter according to claim 1 or 2, A spring that biases the leaf shielding member from a contact position where the leaf shielding member contacts the stems and leaves toward a standby position where the leaf shielding member does not contact the stems and leaves. The transplanter further comprises:

Images