# Research Progress and Future Prospects of Key Technologies for Dryland Transplanters
## 5 Future Development Prospects  
(1) Enhance transplanting efficiency and quality of transplanters  
Enhancing transplanting efficiency and quality remains the core objective for transplanter development. To meet the demands of field mechanized transplanting, continuous optimized design of key components--including seedling feeding systems and seedling extraction-planting systems--is essential to boost unit-time operation efficiency and quality. Additionally, improving transplanters' adaptability and stability across diverse operational environments ensures that transplanting adheres to design parameters under complex conditions. In alignment with national and global environmental strategies, efforts should focus on developing eco-friendly and energy-efficient transplanters. This will enhance their economic and environmental viability, promoting widespread adoption. (2) Integrated R&D of detection, planting, and seedling replenishment for transplanters  
With the advancement in multi-sensor integration, visual inspection technology, and intelligent control systems, transplanters will increasingly incorporate intelligent and autonomous technologies. Sensors monitor basic environmental parameters like soil moisture; vision systems focus on plug seedlings' status, accurately identifying morphological traits such as height, stem diameter, and leaf count, while detecting issues like pests, diseases, or damage. Using deep-learning algorithms, the system analyzes collected data in real time, filters and selects high-quality seedlings that meet transplanting standards, and provides timely feedback on abnormal seedlings. Transplanting mechanisms and planting parameters are intelligently adjusted based on the acquired data. During operation, the seedling replenishment system continuously monitors planting quality in the planted area and promptly performs replenishment. The ultimate goal is to achieve precise, efficient, and stable planting by integrating tray feeding, seedling extraction, planting, replenishment, and monitoring, promoting mechanized, informationized, and automated transplanting. (3) Unmanned transplanting operations  
Unmanned transplanting represents the future mode of transplanting operations. With the advancement and widespread application of technologies such as automatic navigation, intelligent measurement and control, lithium battery energy storage, and operational decision-making models, electric unmanned transplanters for dryland will emerge as a new development hotspot. Under the coordination of the unmanned agricultural machinery collaborative operation system, electric unmanned transplants can achieve automatic startup and complete tasks, including garage entry/exit, transplanting operations, and seedling transfer. In the future, transplanting operations will advance toward unmanned operation through automatic navigation technology, intelligent measurement and control technology, and operational decision-making models. Eventually, a three-dimensional operation system integrating space-based satellite remote sensing, aerial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) monitoring, and ground-based robotic collaboration will be established. This system will drive the evolution of transplanting toward full-process unmanned and facilitate the green transformation and sustainable development of transplanters' operations. (4) Collaborative Industrial Development  
The development of dryland transplanter technology will drive collaborative development among related industries--agricultural machinery manufacturing, seedling cultivation, and agricultural services. Agricultural machinery manufacturers will increase R&D investment, continuously launching high-performance, multifunctional transplanters to meet diverse market needs. Plug-seedling cultivation enterprises will provide higher-quality, standardized seedlings based on industry standards, ensuring robust support for transplanting operations.