WO2009082220A1

WO2009082220A1 - Device and method for batchwise planting plants rooting in substance

Info

Publication number: WO2009082220A1
Application number: PCT/NL2008/050830
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dirk Bruygom
Original assignee: Bruygom Constructie- En Apparatenbouw B.V.
Priority date: 2007-12-21
Filing date: 2008-12-19
Publication date: 2009-07-02
Also published as: NL2001124C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for planting plants or plant parts rooting in substrate. The device comprises: a supply system for holding a plurality of plant- holding trays, a planting system for planting a Y-number of plants, a converting system for gripping an X-number and delivering a Y-number of plants, drive means and an intelligent control.

Description

The present invention relates to a device and method for planting plants rooting in substrate.

Working processes have been automated in numerous sectors in order to enable efficient production. This is also the case in agriculture, horticulture and the food industry, where processes which until recently were labour-intensive are being mechanized and automated. Not only does this result in a cost reduction, but the reliability of the production processes is usually also enhanced hereby. A specific process in which mechanization occurs is the cultivation of crops, wherein seeds, cuttings and the like must usually be planted in controlled manner. The plants or plant parts are usually supplied in a situation in which they are rooted in a substrate and in which the plants rooting in substrate are placed relatively closely packed in a tray. During planting they are placed in another substrate, for instance the ground, at a greater distance from each other. The planting can be carried out manually, although this is undesirable in view of the large quantities of products to be processed and therefore the great workload. For the further development of the plants it is also important that they are planted at equal intermediate distances.

The present invention has for its object to provide a device and a method with which plants rooting in substrate can be planted automatically in effective and efficient manner. For this purpose the device must be reliable and be able to operate reliably at high speed.

The invention provides for this purpose a device for planting plants or plant parts rooting in substrate, comprising: a supply system for holding a plurality of plant-holding trays, a planting system for batchwise planting in Y-numbers of plants rooting in substrate, a converting system for batchwise gripping from the transport system and displacing in X-numbers of plants coming from a plant-holding tray, and batchwise delivery in Y-numbers of plants for planting to the planting system, drive means for driving the different systems, and an intelligent control for controlling the drive means. With this device the plants rooting in the substrate can be processed in fully automated manner. This is because the handling along the whole path from the supplied tray with closely packed plants rooting in substrate up to and including the planting is made possible by the present invention. A considerable saving of labour costs can thus be realized, and a highly uniform planting result can moreover be achieved. The device is further very flexible in use. This is because the device can be utilized in the processing of plants rooting in substrate which are supplied in a batch size (X) which differs from the batch size (Y) used for planting (in other words: X differs from Y).

It is further advantageous if the device also comprises a transport system for batchwise gripping and displacing in X-numbers to the converting system of plants coming from a plant-holding tray. The transport system and the converting system can hereby both be optimized without having to take much account of their mutual co-action; the transport system is after all provided for this purpose. The device can thus also be given a more modular structure, which can be advantageous during both manufacture and later, during maintenance and repair.

An advantageous extension of the device consists of a loading and unloading member for trays connecting to the supply system, wherein the loading and unloading member is displaceable between: a starting position accessible to trays for the purpose of supplying trays to and removing them from the device, a delivery position for delivering trays to the supply system, and a receiving position located a distance from the delivery position for the purpose of receiving trays from the supply system. It is also the case for this measure that the supply system can hereby be further optimized; the accessibility for the supply and discharge of trays (full trays, empty trays as well as trays from which the plants entering the further planting process are taken) forms a lesser limitation. This also makes it possible to assemble the supply system in compact manner with other components of the device, which results in a reduction in size of the overall device. The supply system is also provided for this purpose with displaceable holder means for displacing trays in the supply system. The supply system can thus be loaded very compactly and the accessibility once again forms a less limiting factor in the design.

Because the plants come per X-number from the trays (the rows in which they are placed in the tray contain X plants), it is desirable that the transport system is displaceable for batchwise transfer in X-numbers of plants from the starting position to the converting system. Because the plants for planting must generally be moved to a different mutual distance from the trays (the pitch must be increased), it is advantageous if the transport system is adapted to change the mutual distance between the gripped plants rooting in substrate.

The planting device can advantageously be provided with a converting system comprising at least the following components: a plurality of individual product holders, each adapted to hold at least one plant rooting in substrate, a first product holder carrier for carrying empty product holders, a second product holder carrier for carrying plant- holding product holders, and at least one intermediate manipulator for displacing product holders between the first product holder carrier, the transport system, second product holder carrier and planting system. The mutual distance between the plants can advantageously also be changed in the converting system; this is for instance possible if at least one intermediate manipulator is adapted to change the mutual distance between the product holders.

Pneumatic cylinders can advantageously be applied as drive means since they are reliable, require little space, reduce the chance of (ground) contamination and/or represent a favourable alternative from a cost viewpoint.

The reliability of the operation of the device can be further increased if the device is provided with detection means for detecting trays and/or with detection means for detecting product holders. The possibilities for process control are thus increased and possible deviations or disruptions can be observed quickly (even before they result in errors during planting). Another possibility is to provide the device with inspection means with which the planting results can be monitored. It is necessary here to particularly envisage visual inspection means such as one or more cameras (also referred to as "vision").

If the device comprises wheels, it can be easily displaced over the (ground) surface in which the plants are planted. Particularly in greenhouses the device will advantageously be displaced over rails arranged in the greenhouse for this purpose. The wheels and/or the other components of which the device consists can be assembled by means of a frame on which protective parts such as plates and/or covers can be arranged for protection of the environment and the device, and possibly also to improve the appearance of the device.

The invention also provides a method for planting plants rooting in substrate, comprising the steps of: A) providing trays holding plants rooting in substrate, B) delivering plant-holding trays to a supply system, C) displacing plants rooting in substrate batchwise in X-numbers by means of a transport system from the supply system to a converting system, D) receiving the plants rooting in substrate batchwise in X-numbers by means of the converting system, E) delivering plants rooting in substrate batchwise in Y-numbers to a planting system by means of the converting system, and F) planting plants rooting in substrate batchwise in Y-numbers by means of a planting system. X will here usually differ from Y. The method can be applied using the device as described above. For the advantages of applying this method, reference is made to the advantages of the device according to the present invention already described above.

As already stated above, it is further advantageous if during step B) a loading and unloading member receives plant-holding trays from a starting position, displaces them to the supply system and delivers them to the supply system. The operation of the supply system is hereby minimally loaded by the loading and unloading, and these operations will be less likely to limit the production capacity of the overall device (in other words: these operations will not form a bottleneck in the capacity of the device, or will do so to a lesser extent). The same advantage can be realized if during step B) gripping members receive trays from the loading and unloading member from a delivery position and deliver them to the supply system, and after step B) receive trays from the supply system and deliver them to the loading and unloading member from a receiving position located a distance from the delivery position and/or if the loading and unloading member displaces empty plant-holding trays from the receiving position to the starting position.

The transport system will usually displace plants batchwise in X-numbers from the starting position to the converting system. The arrangement in which the plants are placed on the tray here still dictates the size of each supplied batch of plants. During steps C) and D) the transport system can however already make a start with changing the mutual distance between the plants rooting in substrate; this mutual distance is thus not necessarily still dictated here by the arrangement of the plants in the tray. The distance between the plants will generally have to be increased, although it is not advantageous to keep increasing the mutual distance to the planting distance this early in the method (in step C) or (step D) because this planting distance will then require too much space for the plants. In the converting system an X-number of plants will then be received at a time in individual product holders.

In the converting system use can be made of a first intermediate manipulator for receiving an X-number of product holders from a first product holder carrier and for delivering them to a second product holder carrier. A second intermediate manipulator can thus receive a Y-number of product holders from the second product holder carrier and deliver them to the first product holder carrier.

The present invention will be further elucidated on the basis of the non-limitative exemplary embodiments shown in the following figures. Herein:

figure I shows a highly schematic representation of the device according to the present invention, figure 2 shows a perspective view of a planting device according to the present invention, figure 3 shows a perspective, partly cut-away oblique rear view of the planting device of figure 2, in which can be seen, among other parts, a supply system and transport system, figure 4 shows a perspective detail view of the transport system and the transport system of the planting device of figure 2, in which the transport system is displacing in the direction of a converting system, figure 5 shows a perspective detail view of the planting device of figure 2, in which an X-number of second gripping elements of a first intermediate manipulator of the converting system are located at least partly in a space defined by the contact surfaces of the X-number of first gripping elements of the transport system for the purpose of transferring an X-number of plants, and figure 6 shows a perspective, partly cut-away oblique front view of the planting device of figure 2, in which can be seen a converting system for converting an X-number of supplied plants into a Y-number of plants to be discharged. Figure 1 shows a highly schematic view of a device 1 according to the invention with:

- a supply system 100 provided with displaceable holder means 131 , 132 for buffering of trays,

- a loading and unloading member 6 for displacing trays between a starting position 5 (among other purposes for receiving and delivering trays in the device), a delivery position 8 (for delivering trays to the supply system) and a receiving position 9 (for receiving trays from the supply system),

- a transport system 200 for batchwise gripping and transporting in X-numbers of plants rooting in substrate from starting position 5 to a converting system, - a converting system 300 for receiving plants rooting in substrate batchwise in X- numbers from the transport system and delivering plants rooting in substrate batchwise in Y-numbers to a planting system,

- a planting system 360 for planting plants rooting in substrate batchwise in Y- numbers in a ground 360, and - an intelligent control 400 for controlling the different systems.

Figure 2 shows device 1 for planting plants rooting in substrate (not shown). In a side panel 3 of planting device 1 is arranged an opening 4 for providing access to planting device 1. In the starting position 5 a tray 7 filled with plants rooting in substrate is placed through opening 4 onto a loading and unloading member (not shown here). An empty tray 7 can likewise be removed through opening 4. After a tray 7 filled with plants has been placed on the loading and unloading member, the loading and unloading member holding tray 7 will displace in the direction of a partially shown supply system 100. This supply system 100 will receive plant-holding tray 7 from the loading and unloading member, after which the loading and unloading member is displaced back to starting position 5. A new plant-holding tray can here be placed in loading and unloading member 6 through opening 4. Supply system 100 is shown in more detail in figure 3.

After supply system 100 has received sufficient plant-holding trays 7, a plant-holding tray 7 can be displaced to starting position 5 by the loading and unloading member. A pusher (not shown) will here push upward an X-number of plants situated in a row in tray 7, and a transport system (not shown) will receive the pushed upward X-number of plants by means of first gripping elements mounted on the transport system. The transport system will then displace in the direction of a partially shown converting system 300. This converting system 300 is shown in figure 4.

The converting system 300 displaces a first intermediate manipulator 310, which first intermediate manipulator 310 has received empty product holders 311 , in the direction of the X-number of plants gripped by first gripping elements 201 of transport system 200. First gripping elements 201 of transport system 200 are situated at a greater distance from each other corresponding to the position of the empty product holders 311. For transfer of the X-number of plants, second gripping elements 312 of product holders 31 1 are placed at least partially in a space 315 in a position leaving the plants free, this space being defined by contact surfaces 202 of first gripping elements 201. By now bringing second gripping elements 312 of product holders 311 into a plant-gripping position and then bringing first gripping elements 201 of transport system 200 in a position leaving the plants free, an X-number of plants is transferred from transport system 200 to first intermediate manipulator 310 of converting system 300. This is shown in figure 5.

First intermediate manipulator 310 displaces the X-number of product holders 311 holding plants rooting in substrate to a second product holder carrier 320. When sufficient plant-holding product holders 311 have been placed on second product holder carrier 320, a second intermediate manipulator 330 will receive and displace a Y- number of plant-holding product holders 311 in the direction of a planting system 360. Planting system 360 will then receive and displace the Y-number of plant-holding product holders 311 to a discharge position, where the Y-number of plants are placed in a ground. Planting system 360 then displaces the Y-number of emptied product holders 311 back in the direction of second intermediate manipulator 330. This intermediate manipulator will receive and displace the Y-number of empty product holders 311 to a first product holder carrier 380. When sufficient empty product holders 31 1 have been placed on first product holder carrier 380, first intermediate manipulator 310 can receive and displace an X-number of empty product holders 311 to transport system 200 for the purpose of receiving an X-number of plants. This is shown in figure 6.

Figure 3 shows a perspective, partly cut-away oblique rear view of the planting device of figure 2, in which can be seen, among other parts, a supply system 100 and a transport system 200. After a plant-holding tray 7 has been placed in starting position 5 on a loading and unloading member 6, the loading and unloading member 6 will be displaced to a supply position 120 by partially shown drive means 1 10. A first gripping member 121 will push plant-holding tray 7 upward from the loading and unloading member and thereby displace it in the direction of a first column 130. First gripping member 121 is shown here in this position, where it has pushed a plant-holding tray 7 (not shown) upward. Substantially vertically extending conveyor belts 131 will be rotated by partially shown drive means 140 such that supporting elements 132 of conveyor belts 131 receive plant-holding tray 7 in first column 130. After delivering a tray 7 to first gripping member 121 the loading and unloading member 6 will return to starting position 5, where a new tray 7 can once again be placed on loading and unloading member 6.

A second column 150 is situated adjacently of first column 130 within supply system 100, this second column 150 likewise comprising conveyor belts 131 provided with supporting elements 132. Jf a number of plant-holding trays 7 are placed in first column 130 such that its capacity is utilized, and it is desired to place more plant-holding trays 7 in the transport system, use will be made of second column 150. During the upward movement of plant-holding trays 7 in first column 130 a transfer member 160 located close to the top sides of the first and second columns 130,150 will transfer plant-holding tray 7 from first column 130 to second column 150. During loading of plant-holding trays 7 into supply system 100 the plant-holding trays 7 will be displaced in opposite directions in first and second columns 130,150. The conveyor belts 131 located on the outside of first and second columns 130,150 will herein rotate in a first direction, and conveyor belts 131 located between first and second columns 130,150 will rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction. Because the conveyor belt 131 located between the first and second columns 130,150 displaces plant-holding trays 7 in both first column 130 and in second column 150, it will displace plant-holding trays 7 in upward direction in first column 130 (see arrow Pi) and displace plant-holding trays 7 in a downward direction in second column 150 (see arrow P₂). The first and second columns 130,150 of supply system 100 can in this way be filled with plant-holding trays 7. In this figure several plant-holding trays 7 are shown by way of illustration in first and second columns 130,150. When planting device 1 is ready to plant plants rooting in substrate, a control (not shown) will displace a second gripping member 122 in upward direction and drive means 140 will actuate the transport system such that conveyor belts 131 displace the plant-holding trays 7 located in second column 150 in downward direction (see arrow P₂). Second gripping member 122 will receive the plant-holding tray 7 situated lowest in second column 150, after which it displaces plant-holding tray 7 to starting position 5. The plant-holding tray 7 situated highest in first column 130 will herein be transferred from first column 130 to second column 150 by transfer member 160. Second column 150 hereby remains provided with plant-holding trays 7.

In starting position 5 a pusher (not shown) will push an X-number of plants upward through tray 7, after which first engaging elements 201 mounted on transport system 200 can receive this X-number of plants by holding the plants between contact surfaces 202 of first gripping elements 201. Transport system 200 is then displaced in the direction of a partially shown converting system 300 by means of partially shown drive means 210, where it delivers the plants in batchwise manner. This is shown in figure 4. When all plants from tray 7 have been delivered, the emptied tray 7 will once again be displaced to a supply position 120 by loading and unloading member 6 which is drivable by partially shown drive means 110, at which position the emptied tray 7 is pushed upward out of the loading and unloading member by first gripping member 121 and is then received by first column 130. During the processing of the plants an empty tray 7 will also be received by first column 130 while a plant-holding tray 7 is being received from second column 150 by second gripping member 122. This is the result of the co-acting conveyor belts 131. In this way all the plants placed in device 1 can be processed.

Figure 4 shows a perspective detail view of supply system 100 and transport system 200 of the planting device of figure 2, in which transport system 200 holds an X-number of plants (not shown) and displaces in the direction of a partially shown converting system 300 by means of partially shown drive means 210. Contact surfaces 202 of an X- number of first gripping elements 201 mounted on transport system 200 all grip a plant (not shown). Gripping elements 201 are still in the position in which they are situated at a smaller mutual distance. Transport system 200 will spread first gripping elements 201 to a position in which they are situated at a greater mutual distance, corresponding to the positions of an X-number of empty product holders 31 1 held by a first intermediate manipulator 310 of converting system 300. By now moving the X-number of empty product holders 311, in a position leaving plants free, in the direction of transport system 200 the X-number of plants can be transferred from transport system 200 to product holders 311. This is shown in figure 5.

Figure 5 shows a perspective detail view of the planting device of figure 2, in which an X-number of second gripping elements 312, mounted on product holders 31 1 , are located at least partially in a space 315 defined by contact surfaces 202 of first gripping elements 201 of transport system 200. First gripping elements 201 each hold a plant (not shown). The operation of transferring the X-number of plants is explained hereinbelow.

Transport system 200 will spread first gripping elements 201 to a position in which they are situated at a greater mutual distance, corresponding to the positions of the empty product holders 311. Second engaging elements 312 of product holders 311 are displaced, in a position leaving the plants free, in the direction of transport system 200 by first intermediate manipulator 310 (this situation is shown in this figure). By placing second gripping elements 312 partially in the space 315 defined by contact surfaces 202 of first gripping elements 201 , the plant surfaces left free in the situation in which the plants are gripped by first gripping elements 201 can be gripped on two sides by second gripping elements 312. By bringing second gripping elements 312 into a plant-gripping position and bringing first gripping elements 201 into a position leaving the plants free, the X-number of plants is transferred from transport system 200 to converting device 300. This X-number of batchwise transferred plants must then be converted by the partially shown converting system into the Y-number of plants rooting in substrate for batchwise planting. This is shown in figure 6.

Figure 6 shows a perspective, partly cut-away oblique front view of the planting device of figure 2, in which a converting system 300 can be seen. After the X-number of plants has been received by product holders 311 , the first intermediate manipulator 310 will displace in the direction of a second product holder carrier 320 embodied as guide element and will place the X-number of plant-holding product holders 31 1 onto second product holder carrier 320. Third gripping elements 313 (not shown) of first intermediate manipulator 310 will be placed for this purpose at the correct position in a position leaving product holder 311 free. Partially shown first drive means 321, mounted on second product holder carrier 320 and embodied as a pneumatic cylinder, will then displace the plant-holding product holders 31 1, placed on second product holder carrier 320 by first intermediate manipulator 310, in a first direction along second product holder carrier 320. Space is hereby once again created on second product holder carrier 320 for batchwise placing of a new X-number of plant-holding product holders 311 on second product holder carrier 320 by first intermediate manipulator 310.

A partially shown and cut-away second intermediate manipulator 330 will receive batchwise a Y-number of product holders 311, displaced onto second product holder carrier 320 by pneumatic cylinder 321, by means of fourth gripping elements 331 which are connected displaceably to the second intermediate manipulator and lie in a row. The fourth gripping elements 331 lying in a row are connected to each other for mutual displacement by coupling means (not shown) embodied as a band. The fourth gripping elements 331 at the first and second outer ends of the gripping elements lying in a row are connected respectively to a partially shown first and second drive means 333,334 embodied as pneumatic cylinder. First pneumatic cylinder 333 will displace the mutually connected fourth gripping elements 331 in a first direction, wherein their mutual distance changes. Second pneumatic cylinder 334 will displace the mutually connected fourth gripping elements in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, wherein their mutual distance likewise changes. Because fourth gripping elements 331 are connected for mutual displacement, the fourth gripping elements 331 situated between the two outer ends will displace each other when the first and second pneumatic cylinders 333,334 sufficiently displace the fourth gripping elements 331 at the first and second outer ends of the gripping elements lying in a row. The Y-number of plant-holding product holders 31 1 are displaced in the direction of a planting system 360 by second intermediate manipulator 330, making use herein of conveyor belts 335 driven by a motor 336, and pneumatic cylinders 337. The fourth gripping elements 331 mutually displaced by pneumatic cylinders 333,334 are then situated above discharge members 361 of planting system 360 and can deliver the Y-number of plant-holding product holders 311 to discharge members 361. Planting system 360 will place the plants in a ground 370, after which the fourth gripping elements 331 of second intermediate manipulator 330 will once again receive the Y-number of emptied product holders 311. Second intermediate manipulator 330 will displace and deliver the Y- number of emptied product holders 311 in the direction of a first product holder carrier 380. A partially shown second drive means 381 embodied as pneumatic cylinder and mounted on first product holder carrier 380 will then displace the empty product holders 31 1 in a second direction along first product holder carrier 380. This second direction is opposite to the first direction of the product holders 311 displaced on second product holder carrier 320 by first pneumatic cylinder 321. Space is hereby once again created on first product holder carrier 380 for batchwise placing of a new Y-number of emptied product holders 311 on first product holder carrier 380 by second intermediate manipulator 330. Because the first and second pneumatic cylinders displace product holders 311 in opposite directions, first intermediate manipulator 310 and second intermediate manipulator 330 impede each other less during their functioning.

If an equal or greater number of product holders 311 are placed on second product holder carrier 320 than will be displaced batchwise from second product holder carrier 320 to first product holder carrier 380 by second intermediary manipulator 330, a first reed contact 321 connected to second product holder carrier 320 will be activated. First reed contact 321 will send a signal to the control (not shown) so that second intermediate manipulator 330 can receive and displace plant-holding product holders 311 to first product holder carrier 380.

If an equal or greater number of product holders 311 are placed on first product holder carrier 380 than will be displaced batchwise from first product holder carrier 380 to second product holder carrier 320 by first intermediary manipulator 310, a second reed contact 381 connected to first product holder carrier 380 will be activated. Second reed contact 381 will send a signal to a control 400 (not shown) so that first intermediate manipulator 310 can receive and displace empty product holders 31 1 from first product holder carrier 380 to second product holder carrier 320.

Claims

1. Device for planting plants or plant parts rooting in substrate, comprising: a supply system for holding a plurality of plant-holding trays, - a planting system for batchwise planting in Y-numbers of plants rooting in substrate, a converting system for batchwise gripping from the transport system and displacing in X-numbers of plants coming from a plant-holding tray, and for batchwise delivery in Y-numbers of plants for planting to the planting system, drive means for driving the different systems, and an intelligent control for controlling the drive means.

2. Planting device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the device also comprises a transport system for batchwise gripping and displacing in X-numbers to the converting system of plants rooting in substrate coming from a plant-holding tray.

3. Planting device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that X and Y are different.

4. Planting device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that a loading and unloading member for trays connects to the supply system, wherein the loading and unloading member is displaceable between:

- a starting position accessible to trays for the purpose of supplying trays to and removing them from the device,

- a delivery position for delivering trays to the supply system, and

- a receiving position located a distance from the delivery position for the purpose of receiving trays from the supply system.

5. Planting device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the supply system is provided with displaceable holder means for displacing trays in the supply system.

6. Planting device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the transport system is displaceable for batchwise transfer in X-numbers of plants rooting in substrate from the starting position to the converting system.

7. Planting device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the transport system is adapted to change the mutual distance between the gripped plants rooting in substrate.

8. Planting device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the converting system comprises:

- a plurality of individual product holders, each adapted to hold at least one plant rooting in substrate, a first product holder carrier for carrying empty product holders, a second product holder carrier for carrying plant-holding product holders, and at least one intermediate manipulator for displacing product holders between the first product holder carrier, the transport system, second product holder carrier and planting system.

9. Planting device as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the at least one intermediate manipulator is adapted to change the mutual distance between the product holders.

10. Planting device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the drive means comprise pneumatic cylinders.

11. Planting device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the device comprises detection means for detecting trays.

12. Planting device as claimed in any of the claims 8-11, characterized in that the device comprises detection means for detecting product holders.

13. Planting device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the device comprises wheels for displacing the device over rails.

14. Method for planting plants rooting in substrate, comprising the steps of:

A) providing trays holding plants rooting in substrate,

B) delivering plant-holding trays to a supply system,

C) displacing plants rooting in substrate batchwise in X-numbers by means of a transport system from the supply system to a converting system,

D) receiving the plants rooting in substrate batchwise in X-numbers by means of the converting system,

E) delivering plants rooting in substrate batchwise in Y-numbers to a planting system by means of the converting system, and F) planting plants rooting in substrate batchwise in Y-numbers by means of a planting system.

15. Method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that X differs from Y.

16. Method as claimed in claim 14 or 15, characterized in that during step B) a loading and unloading member receives plant-holding trays from a starting position, displaces them to the supply system and delivers them to the supply system.

17. Method as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that during step B) gripping members receive trays from the loading and unloading member from a delivery position and deliver them to the supply system, and after step B) receive trays from the supply system and deliver them to the loading and unloading member from a receiving position located a distance from the delivery position.

18. Method as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the loading and unloading member displaces plant-holding trays from the receiving position to the starting position.

19. Method as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the transport system displaces an X-number of plants rooting in substrate batchwise from the starting position to the converting system.

20. Method as claimed in any of the claims 14-19, characterized in that between steps C) and D) the transport system changes the mutual distance between the plants rooting in substrate.

21. Method as claimed in any of the claims 14-20, characterized in that the converting system receives an X-number of plants rooting in substrate in individual product holders.

22. Method as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that a first intermediate manipulator receives an X-number of product holders from a first product holder carrier and delivers them to a second product holder carrier, and that a second intermediate manipulator receives a Y-number of product holders from the second product holder carrier and delivers them to the first product holder carrier.

23. Method as claimed in claim 22, characterized in that during the displacement of product holders from the first product holder carrier to the second, the first intermediate manipulator receives batchwise an X-number of plants rooting in substrate from the transport system.

24. Method as claimed in claim 22 or 23, characterized in that during the displacement of plant-holding product holders from the second product holder carrier to the first, the second intermediate manipulator delivers batchwise a Y-number of plant- holding product holders to the planting system and receives emptied product holders from the planting system.