Examination of the Performance of Spoon-Type Planting Machine in Kastamonu Taşköprü Garlic Planting

Garlic production and consumption are increasing worldwide, including in Turkey. It has a wide place on tables due to its taste and health benefits. Kastamonu Taşköprü garlic is also a geographically indicated variety known and sought after worldwide due to its sharp aroma. Approximately 20% of garlic in Türkiye is produced in Kastamonu. Garlic is the most important agricultural product in the Kastamonu economy. Thousands of tons of garlic reach consumers unprocessed, in the form of hand-tied garlic, and are placed on tables. Apart from this, netted garlic in markets, peeled garlic, puree, and black garlic, used primarily in sausage-pastırma-pickle-food sectors, are also processed in facilities in Kastamonu and marketed nationwide. Due to the intensive labor requirement in production, production costs and the supply of labor requirements limit garlic production amounts in the region. In recent years, the use of machinery in planting has become widespread. The spoon-type planting machines are used to plant in rows and then facilitate operations such as weeding and uprooting. This study investigated the success of the spoon-type garlic planting machines used in the region with Kastamonu garlic. The field trials revealed planting performance with the sprout spacing measurement and camera image analysis with different speeds, tooth sizes, and field slope variables. As a result of the results obtained, it was seen that the spoon-type machine was far from making precise planting. When plant distribution was evaluated according to the row spacing in all variables, it was determined that the acceptable row spacing rate was insufficient (11.7-79.5%). It is possible to say that it scatters garlic randomly on the row. These machines need to be developed, and losses in garlic planting should be reduced.