In the field of modern nursery cultivation, mini excavators are becoming indispensable assistants for seedling transplanting and seedbed preparation, thanks to their flexible and efficient operational characteristics. This article details the application advantages, operational key points, and technical highlights of mini excavators in nurseries, providing practical references for nursery practitioners to enhance operational efficiency and quality.
Compared with traditional manual labor, the operational efficiency of mini excavators has shown exponential growth. Taking seedling transplanting as an example, a mini excavator can complete the excavation and transplantation of hundreds of seedlings per day, while manual operation requires dozens of people to achieve a similar workload. This high-efficiency capability enables large-scale transplanting tasks to be completed quickly during critical seasons such as spring and autumn, ensuring seedlings are planted at the optimal time and improving survival rates.
Mini excavators are equipped with precise hydraulic control systems, allowing accurate adjustment of excavation depth and range according to seedling specifications. When excavating seedlings, they minimize root damage and retain more fibrous roots, laying a solid foundation for subsequent seedling growth. Meanwhile, during seedbed preparation, they can precisely control the depth of soil plowing and the accuracy of leveling, creating a suitable soil environment for seedlings.
Mini excavators feature a compact size, enabling flexible movement in nurseries with different terrains—whether flatlands, slopes, or hilly areas. For dense nurseries, their narrow fuselage can freely navigate between seedlings, avoiding unnecessary damage to existing plants.
Seedling Specification Assessment: Measure parameters such as the diameter at breast height (DBH), height, and crown width of seedlings to be transplanted in advance. Determine the diameter and depth of the root ball based on seedling size. Generally, the root ball diameter should be 6-8 times the DBH, and the depth should be 2/3 of the diameter.
Site Planning and Marking: Plan the nursery site to determine the transplanting area and seedling planting positions. Use lime or other marking tools to mark the excavation position of each seedling and the center point of the planting pit on the ground, ensuring a neat and reasonable transplanting layout.
Excavator Parameter Adjustment: Adjust the bucket width and excavation angle of the mini excavator according to the size of the root ball. Select a suitable bucket tooth type—for seedlings with developed root systems, use blunter bucket teeth to reduce root damage.
Root Ball Excavation: The mini excavator moves slowly to the marked position, inserts the bucket vertically into the soil to the predetermined root ball height, and then excavates slowly along the perimeter of the root ball diameter to form a circular trench. During excavation, observe the soil condition to avoid the bucket colliding with seedling roots. Once the soil around the root ball is loosened, insert the bucket under the root ball and lift it gently to separate the root ball from the soil.
Seedling Lifting and Transportation: Use a specialized seedling lifting device to fix the excavated root ball and lift it slowly, keeping the seedling upright to prevent the root ball from loosening due to shaking. Place the seedling on a transport vehicle and secure it with straw ropes or other cushioning materials to prevent damage during transportation.
Planting Pit Excavation and Treatment: The mini excavator moves to the planting position and excavates the planting pit according to the marked center point. The diameter of the planting pit should be 30-50 cm larger than the root ball diameter, and the depth should be 20-30 cm deeper than the root ball height. After excavation, level and loosen the bottom of the planting pit, and apply an appropriate amount of base fertilizer, such as decomposed organic fertilizer, to provide nutrients for seedling growth.
Seedling Planting and Backfilling: Transport the seedling to the side of the planting pit, use the lifting device to place the seedling into the pit, adjust the verticality to ensure the seedling is upright, and then carry out backfilling. First, fill in the fertile topsoil, compacting it layer by layer to avoid air gaps. After backfilling, form a tree disk around the seedling and water it thoroughly to ensure close contact between the roots and the soil.
Control of Plowing Depth: Adjust the plowing depth of the mini excavator according to the nursery soil condition and the needs of planted seedlings. Generally, the seedbed plowing depth should reach 20-30 cm; for areas with severely compacted soil, increase the plowing depth to 30-40 cm to break the plow layer and improve soil air permeability.
Mixing of Soil Improvement Materials: During plowing, evenly spread soil improvement materials such as decomposed organic fertilizer, perlite, and vermiculite on the soil surface. Through the plowing operation of the excavator, fully mix the improvement materials with the original soil to effectively enhance soil fertility and improve soil structure for seedling growth.
Seedbed Leveling Operation: After plowing, use the leveling device equipped on the mini excavator to level the seedbed. By adjusting the height and angle of the leveling device, break up soil clods on the seedbed surface and fill in low-lying areas to keep the seedbed surface uniform. The flatness error of the leveled seedbed should be controlled within ±5 cm to facilitate irrigation and seedling growth.
Seedbed Ridging Technology: According to the growth habits and planting methods of different seedlings, use a mini excavator for seedbed ridging. The ridging height is generally 15-30 cm, and the ridge width is determined by the seedling planting row spacing. During ridging, the excavator piles the soil into ridges and compacts the ridge surface to ensure ridge stability. Ridging can increase soil temperature and improve drainage performance, especially suitable for nurseries in rainy areas or with heavy soil.
During seedbed preparation, mini excavators can assist in soil disinfection and pest control. Evenly spread an appropriate amount of soil disinfectants, such as carbendazim and thiophanate-methyl, on the seedbed surface, and then fully mix the disinfectants with the soil through the plowing operation of the excavator to kill pathogens and insect eggs in the soil. Meanwhile, for weed roots in the nursery, the excavator can remove them through deep plowing to reduce weed competition with seedlings.
Operators of mini excavators must undergo professional training, be familiar with the equipment's performance and operation procedures, and hold relevant operation certificates. During operations, strictly follow safety regulations and wear necessary safety protective equipment, such as safety helmets and seat belts. Before operation, conduct a comprehensive inspection of the equipment to ensure all components operate normally and avoid safety accidents caused by equipment failures.
Regularly maintain and service mini excavators, replacing components such as engine oil, hydraulic oil, and filters in a timely manner according to the equipment manual. Keep the equipment clean, especially after nursery operations, promptly remove soil and weeds from the body and bucket to prevent corrosion and wear of equipment components by soil and debris. Regularly inspect the hydraulic system, transmission system, and braking system to ensure stable equipment performance and extend service life.
Mini excavators should closely coordinate with other operational links in nursery work. During seedling transplanting, maintain good communication with staff responsible for seedling lifting, transportation, and planting to ensure smooth operation processes. During seedbed preparation, reasonably arrange ridging and land preparation work according to the seedling planting plan and irrigation system layout to avoid affecting subsequent planting and management operations.
