SUMMARY

Searching to reduce the costs by hand transplantation in the strawberry culture, a study of the viability of transplant on ground quilted at dry point with later sectored irrigation has been proposed, with the intention to design and construct a transplanter that could transplant in the mentioned conditions.

 A study was made where the strawberry plants were put under four treatments of hydric stress to determine the maximum time allowed so that the germination is not affected. Partial root cutting was also studied in order to facilitate mechanical transplant. Significant difference was found between treatments of irrigation applied after the transplantation to 0, 3, 6 and 9 h; irrigation until 6 h is possible, however immediately one recommend is. 

Two options of cut with descendent blade were studied: slow cut (in texturometer analyzer) and free fall cut, in order to understand the phenomenon of cutting plastic on ground, and process variables relation (different cut blades, cutter mass, plastics, grounds, humidities, compactions and cut speeds) with cut quality and efficiency, evaluated in terms of required energy and depth reached until plastic point cut.

Cut with toothed blade required less energy and displacement to the break point, that the blades of smooth edge. Smaller mass in the cutter allows, at appropriate speed, to obtain satisfactory cut with smaller energy requirement and cut depth. The thin - argillaceous ground demands greater requirement of energy, but needs smaller displacement to the break point because it presents greater effect of against-blade than the thin - sandy ground. Humidity at dry point and soil compaction as well as kindness cut process.
 
With obtained parameters the transplant module was constructed and a tests device as well. Performance of main components of the module: cutter, hook and clamp were evaluated, resulting satisfactory according to established criteria. 

A research carried out verifies technical feasibility of proposed transplant process. Module of transplanter of plants bare root over polyethylene film, constructed according to experiments results, satisfies the mechanized transplant requirements.