WO2023198231A1

WO2023198231A1 - Device for planting with addition of hydrogel and use thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2023198231A1
Application number: PCT/CZ2023/050014
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan MACKU; Ondrej NUHLICEK; Karolina RESNEROVA
Original assignee: Ceska Zemedelska Univerzita V Praze
Priority date: 2022-04-11
Filing date: 2023-03-21
Publication date: 2023-10-19
Also published as: CZ309862B6; CZ2022152A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for planting especially forest cover, which comprises an operator's cabin (1); a container (2) for liquid material to be dosed, provided with a filling hole (2.1) and a discharge hole (2.2); at least one planting cutter (3) comprising a spreading ploughshare (3.1) and at least two pressure discs (3.2); a means (4) for dosing hydrogel-containing material; wherein the container (2) is connected to a piping (5) for conveying the liquid material to be dosed to the planting cutter (3) between the spreading ploughshare (3.1) and the pressure discs (3.2), wherein said device further comprises at least one seedling tray (6), and at least one seedling feeder (7) adapted to transport seedlings from the operator's cabin (1) to the planting cutter (3); wherein the planting cutter (3) contains a shaft (3.3) for seedlings equipped with an electro-optical sensor (3.4); and wherein the means (4) for dosing the hydrogel-containing material is a hydrogel- containing liquid material dispenser and/or a hydrogel -containing tablet dispenser, wherein the means (4) for dosing the hydrogel -containing material is feedback-connected to the electro-optical sensor (3.4); and wherein said device further comprises a hydraulic motor (12) for vertical adjustment of the planting cutter; and wherein said device is adapted as a superstructure for a forwarder (9). The present invention further relates to the use of said device for planting.

Description

Device for planting with addition of hydrogel and use thereof

Field of Art

The invention relates to a device for planting or reforestation with the addition of hydrogel, fertilisers and possibly other soil conditioners in two forms - diluted slurry or pressed tablets (or pellets). The device, suitable for both restoration and establishment of new stands in water-scarce areas, is designed as a superstructure on a forwarder and is mounted on the rear frame of the chassis after the loading area is removed. It allows single-row or double-row planting.

Background Art

Artificial restoration and establishment of new stands are carried out manually, using hoes, pickaxes and other hand tools, and mechanised planting machines. The oldest method of mechanised planting is probably the furrow planting using a furrowing machine mounted on a general-purpose or special wheeled tractor. Another possibility is, for example, planting with a special adapter on a harvester hydraulic manipulator (hydraulic crane). Although the classic furrowing machine is still unsurpassed in terms of performance, its use has receded in the forests due to the tall stumps being left after mechanised cutting with a harvester. The furrowing machine of the classic design has difficulties in overcoming them, which - given the ever-increasing percentage of harvesting realised by this method, caused the decline of furrowing machines.

Applying hydrogel to plants entails fundamental shortcomings that limit its wider use.

The hydrogel application methods used are:

• By incorporating into the soil

• In a dry state, directly to the plant

• In the form of a diluted slurry, directly to the plant

• By soaking the roots in water before planting

The method of surface incorporation into the soil is very economically demanding and, at the same time, does not provide enough hydrogel at the root. On the contrary, the hydrogel is located at a greater distance from the target plant, which is not useful for it and, in addition promotes the growth of unwanted weeds.

Although the dry application method under the root significantly eliminates the disadvantages of surface application, the hydrogel can permanently damage not only the fine root hair but also the entire root due to the significant volume changes during soaking or drying. This method is also very susceptible to forming cavities in the substrate, causing permanent degenerative changes to the root. In addition, this method is sensitive to precise dosing, which rules it out for routine practice in, for example, third-world countries.

Applying the slurry under the root reduces root tearing during swelling but does not prevent cavities. In addition, the application of the slurry entails considerable logistical and financial requirements, as large quantities of water must be transported to the area together with the hydrogel and mixed in precise proportions.

Although the root-soaking method significantly extends the time the plant can be out of the substrate for transport, it is unsuitable for subsequent planting because not enough hydrogel adheres to the root system to protect against drought on the site. Furthermore, the amount of hydrogel that adheres to the roots cannot be influenced in any way; thus, it is impossible to accurately dose or estimate future functionality.

A new method of applying hydrogel is a hydrophilic tablet and a kit for planting woody plants, which was developed by our research team to minimise the negatives of applying hydrogel in dry form. Utility model CZ 35447 was registered for the tablet. The present invention described below in one of its embodiments doses said tablet.

As mentioned above, the dosing of hydrogel in the form of diluted slurry encounters, in particular, the problem of handling large quantities of the mixture. Our team has partially solved this problem by creating a dosing device as an attachment to the furrowing machine, which has been granted Patent No. CZ 307765. It discloses a hydrogel dosing device for planting a forest stand, arranged as an attachment on a furrow planter. This device comprises of a tank with a filling hole, a discharge hole, and a piping for conveying the dosed material to the seedling. The inner space of the tank is equipped with a mixing and dosing device to which the said piping for transporting the dosed material is connected, which is arranged in the structure of the furrow planter between the rearwardly extending parts of the spreader. The furrowing and planting machine is equipped with an operator’s cabin mounted on the frame, wherein its front part, there is a trigger switch for the mixing and dosing unit located above the floor and controlled by the operator. The main disadvantage of this device is that it is very difficult to handle in a forest environment, especially with tall stumps after harvester cutting. Given the amount of harvesting carried out in this way, this device is essentially unsuitable for the forest environment. The furrow planter has difficulty overcoming stumps and other obstacles. At the same time, the planting must be manually replenished in front of and behind the stump, as the machine requires considerable handling space to overcome the stump. Another disadvantage of this machine is that it must be mounted directly onto the tractor frame, and a three-point hitch cannot be used. In addition, an increasing number of carriers (tractors) do not allow this mounting. Other disadvantages include the operator’s exposure to the weather. The riskiness of the work is also significantly higher in this case. An undeniable disadvantage of this technology is the increased demands on operator experience and practice. A large portion of the operation of the machine lies with the operator, who must dose the seedlings, monitor the development of the terrain and possible obstacles, control the correct deepening of the machine, etc. The machine is also completely unsuitable for a clearing where the brushwood has remained because the cutter, in that case, pushes the brushwood in front of it and thus invalidates the result of the work.

From a construction point of view, the need to place the application slurry tank on the machine’s body can be considered a significant disadvantage. This vastly changes the centre of gravity of the machine-and-carrier assembly and reduces the manoeuvrability of the assembly in the field. Also, replenishment of the application slurry and planting material must be done manually or with the participation of another means of transport (a tractor with a front ramp, etc.). The hydrogel is dispensed manually by the operator using a switch. When planting the growth, the machine operator, sitting in the cabin, places the seedling in the created furrow. At the same time, when inserting the seedling, the operator presses the switch, which turns on the mixing and dosing device and injects a dose of hydrogel into the furrow. Subsequently, the furrow is earthed up using the earthing wheels of the ploughshare.

Disclosure of the Invention

The device according to the present invention is, in contrast to the prior art, conceived as a superstructure for a forwarder. The forwarder is a device known to one skilled in the art, which provides for transporting short timber assortments (2 - 6 m, typical of harvester technology) from the stand to the collection point. The primary working tool here is a hydraulic arm (hydraulic crane with a grapple) which loads the assortments onto the loading area of the forwarder in the stand. This is a specialised machine that cannot be disconnected (unlike the tractor with forwarder trailer).

The device according to the present invention comprises three main parts:

• An operator’s cabin, containers for dispensing material containing hydrogel and for seedlings. A seedling feeder and conveyor

A furrowing mechanism (planting cutter) with a means for dosing the hydrogel-containing material

The entire device is designed as a superstructure for a forwarder, an integral part of which is a hydraulic arm. A significant advantage of using the forwarder's hydraulic arm (hydraulic manipulator) is the transport of containers with planting material and, primarily, tanks with material containing hydrogel, for example, an application slurry. The machine would arrive at the collection point, where the truck can place an IBC (intermediate bulk container) with water or ready-made slurry. The arm lifts the IBC to the filling hole of the integrated tank, the liquid is pumped through, and then the arm can be used to load the corresponding number of containers with seedlings.

The object of the present invention is therefore a device for planting, mainly of the forest, comprising:

- operator’ s cabin;

- container for a liquid material to be dosed, provided with a filling hole and a discharge hole;

- at least one planting cutter comprising a spreading ploughshare and pressure discs;

- means for dosing hydrogel-containing material; wherein the container for the liquid material to be dosed is connected to a piping for conveying the liquid material to be dosed to the planting cutter between the spreading ploughshare and the at least two pressure discs, wherein the device further comprises at least one seedling tray and at least one seedling feeder adapted to transport seedlings from the operator’s cabin to the planting cutter; wherein the planting cutter contains a shaft for seedlings equipped with an electro-optical sensor; and wherein the means for dosing the hydrogel-containing material is a hydrogel -containing liquid material dispenser and/or a hydrogel -containing tablet dispenser, the means for dosing the hydrogel-containing material being feedback-connected to the electro-optical sensor; and wherein the device further comprises a hydraulic motor for vertical adjustment of the planting cutter (and thus the depth of the resulting furrow); and wherein the device is designed as a superstructure for a forwarder.

The container for the liquid material to be dosed can be, for example, a tank, preferably a plastic tank, for example, the IBC container as mentioned above. The seedling tray and the container for liquid material to be dosed can be located inside or outside the operator’s cabin. In a preferred embodiment, they are located inside the operator’s cabin. In addition, the seedling tray area can be air-conditioned to prolong the viability of the seedlings. The operator’s cabin is preferably located on the chassis frame of the rear part of the forwarder. The cabin includes a seat for the operator (the planter) - the operator preferably sits opposite the direction of travel when working.

In one embodiment, the device is adapted for single-row planting and comprises one planting cutter and one seedling feeder.

In another embodiment, the device is adapted for double-row planting and comprises two planting cutters and two seedling feeders.

The container for the liquid material to be dosed is preferably located in the lower part of the operator’s cabin, so that the stability of the forwarder is affected as little as possible. The container capacity can be from 100 to 1,000 litres, which represents a supply of slurry for one working shift.

In one embodiment, the means for dosing the hydrogel -containing material is a liquid material dispenser, wherein the dispenser comprises a pump with a dosing mechanism preferably located inside the container for the liquid material to be dosed. This embodiment is particularly suitable for dosing the application slurry (i.e. the liquid content). The pump with dosing mechanism is connected to a piping that extends into the planting cutter between the spreading ploughshare and the pressure discs. The outlet of said piping is provided with an electro valve, feedback- connected to the electro-optical sensor.

The outlet of the piping for conveying the dosed liquid material in the planting cutter can be preferably equipped with a nozzle, facilitating the direction of the dose of the application slurry into the furrow.

In another embodiment, the means for dosing the hydrogel -containing material is a tablet dispenser, wherein said dispenser comprises a tablet tray and a rotary disc feeder. This embodiment is especially suitable for dosing hydrogel tablets (i.e. solid content). In that case, the tablet is dosed with a dispenser into the furrow, similarly to the application slurry. In this embodiment, the slurry piping, i.e. the pipe and the nozzle, are dismantled and replaced by the applicator for hydrogelcontaining tablets. Said applicator has the same external dimensions as the nozzle, thus allowing for the modularity of the entire device and easy adjustment of the planting cutter to apply slurry or tablets. In a preferred embodiment, the applicator is a tube with an inner diameter larger than the size of the tablets intended for application. A rotary disc feeder is connected to the tablet tray and to the applicator for conveying the tablets to the planting cutter between the spreading ploughshare and the pressure discs, the rotary disk feeder being feedback-connected to the electro-optical sensor.

Therefore, to modify the device for tablet application, only the pipe and nozzle assembly is disconnected, and the tablet tray and rotary disc feeder with applicator are connected to the planting cutter. The container for the liquid material to be dosed (slurry) is not used at that moment, but still remains in the device, preferably integrated inside the operator’s cabin. The tray for hydrogel-containing tablets is located in the planting cutter, because the weight of the tablets is many times smaller than the corresponding amount of slurry, and it is therefore possible to fill the tray with tablets for the entire shift (approx. 4 kg of tablets). The tablet is dosed from the tray using a rotary disc feeder feedback-connected to the electro-optical sensor through the applicator and falls to the bottom of the furrow under the seedling only due to gravity.

An advantage of the device according to the present invention is its modularity. The device allows for a variant with two planting modules or one planting cutter can be removed and the other can be suspended in the centre. Similarly, the piping, nozzle and electro valve for the application of the slurry can be removed (the tank and the pump remain on the machine) and a tablet dosing unit can be fitted in their place. It is possible to adapt the device to a two-row configuration with tablet dosing or a two-row configuration with slurry dosing or to combine one furrow with tablets and the other with the slurry. The essential is that it is possible to reconfigure the device in a matter of hours to tablets or slurry as required, and likewise, either single-row or double-row planting.

The hydrogel-containing material can be the application slurry or tablets or pellets containing the hydrogel. In addition to the hydrogel, said material may also contain other components, for example fertilisers, soil stabilisers, potash, biochar, pesticides, fungicides, micronutrients, wood sawdust, wood shavings. For the purposes of this invention, the application slurry is defined as a liquid containing an active substance - hydrogel - in a hydrogel : water weight ratio of from 1 : 150 to 1 :250, and possibly other substances selected from the group comprising fertilisers, soil stabilisers, potash, biochar, pesticides, fungicides, micronutrients in the amount corresponding to the given tree, its age and habitat conditions.

A hydrophilic tablet or pellet containing hydrogel is described in Utility model CZ 35447. It contains from 7 to 60 wt.% of a hydrophilic polymer selected from the group comprising potassium polyacrylate, sodium polyacrylate, polyacrylamide, polymethyl acrylate, polyethyl acrylate and mixtures thereof; and further comprising from 40 to 93 wt.% of a carrier selected from the group comprising wood sawdust and wood shavings.

In one embodiment, the device comprises at least one seedling tray and one seedling feeder adapted for transporting seedlings from the operator’s cabin to the planting cutter. Preferably, the seedling feeder is located in such a way as to enable the seedlings from the operator’s cabin to be conveyed to the seedling shaft in the planting cutter. More preferably, there is also a seedling tray (containers with seedlings) located in the operator’s cabin, which the operator can place next to one of his hands.

In another embodiment, the device comprises at least two seedling trays and two seedling feeders adapted for transporting seedlings from the operator’ s cabin to the planting cutter. Preferably, the seedling feeders are located in such a way as to enable the seedlings from the operator’s cabin to be conveyed to the seedling shaft in the planting cutter. More preferably, there is also a seedling tray (containers with seedlings) located in the operator’s cabin, which the operator can place near both hands. This design is particularly suitable for a two-row planting configuration, where each seedling feeder leads to a different planting cutter.

The seedling feeder can be selected from the group comprising a band conveyor, a belt conveyor, a chain conveyor, a robotic manipulator, an eccentric disc feeder or a disc feeder with grips. In the most preferred embodiment, the seedling feeder is a belt or chain conveyor.

The operator (planter) manually removes the seedlings from the individual containers and places them in the seedling feeder(s). The interval for inserting seedlings is not limited in any way, so the planter can react to the current situation at the planting cutter and not insert the seedling, for example, in the place of a stump, stone or other obstacle. The seedling is then moved along the seedling feeder into the area of the seedling shaft, where it is released and falls into the furrow created by the spreading ploughshare. When the seedling falls through the shaft, the electro-optical sensor is activated, which starts the means for dosing the hydrogel -containing material (i.e. the electro valve located at the mouth of the piping for conveying the dosed liquid material in the planting cutter and/or the rotary disc feeder). Just before the seedling hits the furrow, the slurry is injected or a hydrogel-containing tablet/pellet is dosed (depending on the setting) directly under the root system of the seedling. In this way, unwanted spillage of the slurry is prevented during the delay between planting and closing the furrow with the pressure discs. A pair of pressure discs then closes the furrow and fixes the seedling by compressing the soil.

In a preferred embodiment, a furrow depth sensor, preferably an optical furrow depth sensor, can be part of the planting cutter, which monitors whether the spreading ploughshare is properly immersed in the soil. In the case of incorrect immersion, the immersion depth is automatically adjusted via a hydraulic motor, preferably a linear hydraulic motor, carrying the entire planter cutter assembly. At the same time, the furrow depth sensor registers obstacles in the way and, if necessary to overcome them, the device automatically raises the planting cutter using the hydraulic motor and then lowers it back into the furrow. Preferably, the furrow depth sensor is selected from the group comprising the distance laser sensors, for example, Autosen ALOIO, or a radar distance sensor, for example, Baumer RR30.

The amount of applied hydrogel-containing material (slurry, tablets, etc.) is adjusted by the time for opening the electro valve and/or by setting the rotation speed of the rotary disc feeder. Dosing takes place automatically depending on the output from the electro-optical sensor, which signals the passage of the seedling through the seedling shaft in the planting cutter. The pump pushes the slurry from the area of the container for the dosed liquid material through the pipe, which can be located in the central tunnel in the forwarder’s chassis frame. In the case of the application of hydrogel tablets, one tablet per plant is preferably dosed from the tablet tray via the rotary disc feeder and applicator.

The device thus allows using a very efficient method of planting into the furrow and, at the same time, minimises the disadvantage of this method when using a classic furrowing machine - difficult overcoming of obstacles and non-automated dosing operation. Under ideal conditions, it can apply up to eight thousand seedlings per furrowing unit (16,000 in a two-unit configuration).

The object of the present invention is also the use of said device for planting, especially forest vegetation, preferably with the addition of hydrogel, fertilisers and possibly other soil conditioners, which can be added in two forms - diluted slurry or pressed tablets or pellets. The device is suitable for restoration and establishing new stands in water-scarce areas.

Description of Drawings Fig. 1 : General view of the device according to the present invention and its positioning as a superstructure on the forwarder.

Fig. 2: Front view of the device according to the present invention; A - device for double-row planting; B - device for single-row planting

Fig. 3: Detail of the planting cutter from the side view; the cutter is adapted for slurry application. Fig. 4: Detail of the planting cutter from the side view; the cutter is adapted for the application of hydrogel tablets.

Examples

Example 1 : Device for the application of slurry for single-row planting

A device for planting (planting device) was constructed, adapted for the addition of hydrogel and possibly other soil conditioners and fertilisers. The scheme of the device is in Figs. 1, 2B and 3. The planting device was arranged as a superstructure on the chassis frame of the rear part of the forwarder, containing a hydraulic arm. The device comprises an operator’s cabin 1, a container 2 for the application slurry (IBC container with a capacity of 500 litres), equipped with a filling hole 2, 1 and a discharge hole 2,2, one planting cutter 3 located according to Fig. 2B and containing the spreading ploughshare 3, 1 and two pressure discs 3,2. As a means 4 for dosing the hydrogelcontaining material, this device contained a piping 5 for conveying the application slurry from the IBC container to the planting cutter 3 between the spreading ploughshare and the pressure discs, while the pump 4,1 and the dosing mechanism 4,2 were placed inside the IBC container and the outlet of the piping 5 in the planting cutter 3 was equipped with an electro valve 8 and a nozzle A l.

The device further comprised one seedling tray 6 located in the operator’s cabin 1 and a belt conveyor serving as a seedling feeder 7 for conveying seedlings from the operator’ s cabin 1 to the planting cutter 3. The planting cutter 3 comprised a shaft 3,3 for seedlings, equipped with an electro-optical sensor 3,4, to which the electro valve 8 was feedback-connected.

The device further comprised a linear hydraulic motor 12 for vertically adjusting the planting cutter 3, thereby changing the depth of the resulting furrow. The planting cutter also included an optical sensor 11 for the depth of the furrow to monitor the ploughshare 3,1 to ensure that it was sufficiently immersed in the soil . The furrow depth sensor 11 was connected to the hydraulic motor 12. In the event of incorrect immersion of the ploughshare 3, 1, the furrow depth (i.e. the immersion of the ploughshare) was automatically adjusted by vertical displacement of the planting cutter 3 by means of the linear hydraulic motor 12. Example 2: Device for the application of the hydrogel-containing tablets for double-row planting A device for planting was constructed, adapted for the addition of hydrogel and possibly other soil conditioners and fertilisers. The scheme of the device is in Figs. 1, 2A and 4. The planting device was arranged as a superstructure on the chassis frame of the rear part of the forwarder, containing a hydraulic arm. The device was constructed similarly to Example 1, with the following differences:

The device contained two planting cutters 3 located according to Fig. 2A, each of which contained a spreading ploughshare 3,1 and two pressure discs 3,2. As a means 4 for dosing the hydrogelcontaining material, said device comprised a rotary disc feeder 14 connected to a tablet tray 13 connected to an applicator 5,2 for conveying tablets to the planting cutter 3 between the spreading ploughshare 3, 1 and the pressure discs 3,2. The rotary disc feeder 14 was feedback- connected to the electro-optical sensor 3,4. To adapt the device for tablet application, the assembly of piping 5 and nozzle 5,1 was disconnected, and the tray 13 for tablets and the rotary disc feeder 14 with applicator 5,2 were connected to the planting cutter 3. The container 2 for the dosed liquid material (IBC container with a capacity of 500 litres) was not used in this embodiment, but remained located in the device. The tray 13 for tablets containing hydrogel was located in each of the two planting cutters 3. The rotary disc feeder 14 was feedback-connected to the electro-optical sensor 3,4.

The device further comprised two seedling trays 6 located in the operator’s cabin 1 and two chain conveyors serving as seedling feeders 7 for conveying seedlings from the operator’s cabin 1 to each planting cutter 3. The planting cutters 3 contained, as in Example 1, a shaft 3,3 for seedlings, provided with an electro-optical sensor 3,4 to which a rotary disc feeder 14 was feedback connected.

A further variant of the double-row planting device is a device comprising two planting cutters 3 and two seedling feeders 7, wherein one planting cutter 3 comprises the liquid material dispenser according to Example 1 (i.e. the pump 4,1 connected to the dosing mechanism 4,2, the piping 5, the nozzle 5,1 and the electro valve 8) and the second planting cutter 3 comprises a dispenser for tablets containing hydrogel according to Example 2 (i.e. the rotary disc feeder 14 connected to the tablet tray 13 and the applicator 5,2).

Example 3 : Reforestation with Scots pine seedlings

For the reforestation of a clearing of about 0.6 hectares, a device according to a combination of Example 1 and 2 was used, i.e. a device dosing hydrogel tablets but containing one planting cutter 3 (the single-cutter concept was therefore used as an assembly). Tablets containing 20 wt.% potassium polyacrylate and 80 wt.% wood sawdust were used. The tablets were filled into a tray 13 on the planting cutter 3. After testing under laboratory or workshop conditions, the machine was tested under operating conditions. A clearing of about 0.6 hectares was reforested with cutoff bare-root Scots pine seedlings 36-50 cm above the ground. The machine was run by an experienced operator with many years of experience in planting with a conventional furrowing machine. The hourly output in the given experiment was 300 seedlings. Thus, faster and easier operation of the device and the resulting planting was achieved than when using devices from state of the art, where the operator, in addition to handling the seedlings, has to dose the hydrogel and monitor the depth of the furrow and obstacles in the terrain, which slows down the speed of planting and at the same time greatly increases the demands on the operator.

List of reference signs

1 - Operator’ s cabin

2 - Container for the material to be dosed

2.1 - Filling hole of the dosed material container

2.2 - Discharge hole of the dosed material container

3 - Planting cutter

3.1 - Spreading ploughshare

3.2 - Pressure discs

3.3 - Seedling shaft

3.4 - Electro-optical sensor

4 - Means for dosing the hydrogel-containing material

4.1 - Pump

4.2 - Dosing mechanism

5 - Piping

5.1 - Nozzle

5.2 - Applicator for tablets

6 - Seedling tray

7 - Seedling feeder

8 - Electro valve

9 - Forwarder

10 - Hydraulic arm

11 - Furrow depth sensor

12 - Linear hydraulic motor

13 - Tablet tray tube

14 - Dosing disc

Claims

1. A device for planting especially forest cover, comprising:

- operator’s cabin (1);

- container (2) for liquid material to be dosed, provided with a filling hole (2.1) and a discharge hole (2.2);

- at least one planting cutter (3) comprising a spreading ploughshare (3.1) and at least two pressure discs (3.2);

- means (4) for dosing hydrogel-containing material; wherein the container (2) is connected to a piping (5) for conveying the liquid material to be dosed to the planting cutter (3) between the spreading ploughshare (3.1) and the pressure discs (3.2), characterised in that it further comprises at least one seedling tray (6), preferably located in the operator’s cabin (1), and at least one seedling feeder (7) adapted to transport seedlings from the operator’s cabin (1) to the planting cutter (3); wherein the planting cutter (3) contains a shaft (3.3) for seedlings equipped with an electro-optical sensor (3.4); and wherein the means (4) for dosing the hydrogel-containing material is a hydrogel-containing liquid material dispenser and/or a hydrogel -containing tablet dispenser, wherein the means (4) for dosing the hydrogel -containing material is feedback-connected to the electro-optical sensor (3.4); and wherein the device further comprises a hydraulic motor (12) for vertical adjustment of the planting cutter; and wherein the device is adapted as a superstructure for a forwarder (9).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that the means (4) for dosing the hydrogelcontaining material is a pump (4.1) connected to a dosing mechanism (4.2) for dosing the liquid hydrogel-containing material into the piping (5), wherein outlet of the piping (5) within the planting cutter (3) is provided with an electro valve (8), feedback-connected to the electro-optical sensor (3.4).

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the means (4) for dosing the hydrogel-containing material is a rotary disc feeder (14) connected to a tablet tray (13) and connected to an applicator (5.2) for conveying tablets into the planting cutter (3) between the spreading ploughshare (3.1) and the pressure discs (3.2); wherein the rotary disc feeder (14) is feedback-connected to the electro-optical sensor (3.4).

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that it comprises one planting cutter (3) and one seedling feeder (7).

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that it comprises two planting cutters (3) and two seedling feeders (7).

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the seedling feeder (7) is selected from the group comprising a band conveyor, a belt conveyor, a chain conveyor, a robotic manipulator, an eccentric disc feeder and a disc feeder with grips.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the planting cutter (3) further comprises a furrow depth sensor (11), feedback-connected to a hydraulic motor (12), preferably the furrow depth sensor (11) is an optical sensor.

8. The device according to claim 2, characterised in that the pump (4.1) with the dosing mechanism (4.2) are located inside the container (2) for the liquid material to be dosed.

9. The device according to claim 2, characterised in that the outlet of the piping (5) for conveying the dosed material in the planting cutter (3) is further equipped with a nozzle (5.1).

10. Use of the device according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 9 for planting, especially of the forest.