GR300: the grafting technique in the fight against diseases of horticultural plants

The benefits of our grafting machine to improve production of greenhouses and nurseries.

Despite having ancient origins, in recent years the practice of grafting has garnered significant interest in the horticultural field. Most greenhouses and nurseries, in fact, focus on specific types of cultivation and, by continuously working with the same varieties in the same spaces, increase the likelihood of disease and parasite proliferation that can weaken the root systems of plants, such as fusarium, thereby risking the compromise of the entire production's growth. However, thanks to grafting techniques, it is possible to protect crops. A correctly grafted seedling, combining the best properties of two compatible elements, is more resistant to pathogens and more productive than a non-grafted plant.

To ensure perfect grafting quickly and easily, at Atlantic Man. we have designed a special semi-automatic system, the Grafting Robot GR300. The GR300 system allows for accurate grafting of seedlings up to 4mm, making them stronger and more vigorous. It requires only a single operator and offers two different working modes depending on the type of crop.

Functioning:

For the grafting of plants belonging to the Solanaceae family, such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, the robot operates with two identical mirrored groups: the seedlings are cut at the stem in a complementary way, and the root part (rootstock) and the aerial part (scion or plant variety) are joined with one of the commercially available clips. The grafting of Cucurbits, including watermelon, melon, and cucumber, is done by making a complementary cut at the level of the cotyledons, between the two embryonic leaves of the plant to be cultivated.

Benefits:

Our grafting machine offers several advantages. First, this system allows work to be organized more efficiently: with the GR300, a single operator can make perfect grafts every 6-10 seconds on average, always maintaining full control of the entire process. Another advantage relates to the precision and cleanliness of the cut: compared to manual practice, our robot makes perfectly coinciding and complementary clean cuts, offering greater guarantees of a successful graft. Additionally, the cutting blades are automatically sanitized at each cycle through a blow-disinfection-blow mechanism: this removes any organic residues from the seedlings, cleans the blades, and dries the solution so that subsequent grafts are not damaged. Finally, this system yields higher quality and quantity: a properly grafted plant is healthier, stronger, and about 30% more productive than an ungrafted one.