Dibble Intermittent Planters

Function

Dibble intermittent planters pierce the soil at specific points and insert seedlings into the hole. Dibble planters can operate in areas with light to medium slash.

Description

Dibble planters mount directly on prime movers. A typical model consists of two planting arms with hollow dibbles. Each dibble punches a single hole. A seedling is forced into the hole as the dibble withdraws. Most models abort the planting process if a dibble arm strikes an obstacle. The seedlings may be placed into the hollow dibbles or arms by hand or by an automated system.

On some models, the operator of the prime mover controls the spacing between planting spots; on others, the spacing is automated, but adjustable. With all models, an operator is needed for the prime mover; some models also require an operator for the dibble planter. Some models only work with container seedlings.

The hollow dibbles on the Silvaplanter model are made of three independent hydraulically-operated sections. After penetrating the soil, the sections expand and leave the seedling behind as the arm withdraws. This mechanism produces less stress on the seedling than models where the plant is forced into the hole left by the dibble. The Silvaplanter also has a scarifying blade that prepares sites and leaves a small catch basin around the planted seedling to hold moisture and encourage growth.

Operation

The dibble planter operator searches for the most promising planting spots and triggers the planting mechanism. In particularly rough or obstacle-filled terrain, the operator may scarify the planting spots before planting.

Advantages

Dibble planters can operate on terrain that is too rough or has too many obstacles for other mechanical planters. Because dibble planters create soil openings no larger than needed for the seedling, little energy is wasted.

Disadvantages

When dibble planters are operated in rough terrain, a great amount of downtime may be needed to repair and adjust the machinery. Dibble planters are hard on the seedlings. The soil is compacted when the dibble creates a planting hole. Soil compaction may retard the root growth of seedlings in dry, compacted, or hard soil.