Mechanical planting reduces working time by 98%; using the right seed-metering cup for seed size is crucial

Ahead of the garlic planting season, the Gyeongsangbuk-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services is actively introducing mechanized cultivation technologies to farming households, which can reduce working time by 98% and production costs by 82%.

Since 2023, the Organic Agriculture Research Institute has developed cultivation technologies suitable for garlic mechanization through joint industry-academia-research cooperation with Kyungpook National University and Bulls Co., Ltd. Earlier this year, it published and distributed the "Garlic Mechanization Standard Cultivation Model Manual" to farming households and city and county agricultural technology centers.

Research results show that using a planter reduces the planting time per 10a from about 49 hours to 0.9 hours.

To ensure stable mechanical planting, seeds must be sorted by size and matched with the appropriate seed-metering cup. If the seed and metering cup sizes do not match, missing plants (gaps) can occur, or multiple seeds may be planted at once.

The proper planting depth is about 3 cm. Planting too shallow makes it difficult to maintain temperature and soil moisture, and for Daeseo garlic, the bulb can become exposed to the surface and damaged during stem-cutting operations. Uiseong garlic has a characteristic where the bulb moves downward into the soil, so planting it too deep makes it difficult to shake off the soil during harvest.

To further expand mechanization, non-mulching cultivation can also be utilized. When soil moisture is properly managed, the yield difference compared to vinyl mulching is minimal at about 2%. However, because the soil surface dries easily, it is recommended to increase irrigation frequency by 1.5 to 2 times, and to cover fields with non-woven fabric during the overwintering period in cold regions.

Lee Moon-joong, head of the Organic Agriculture Research Institute, stated, "Garlic mechanization is important not only in using agricultural machinery but also in adjusting cultivation methods—such as seed size, planting depth, and soil moisture—to fit mechanization. We will actively distribute these developed mechanized cultivation technologies to farming households to reduce labor and production costs while contributing to stable garlic production."