Research Progress and Development of Mechanized Potato Planters: A Review

Potato is one of the most important crops in the world to ensure food security for the world’s fast-growing population. Mechanized planting is crucial for improving production and per unit area yield of potato. To meet the agronomic requirements of potato planting, various types of potato planters have been developed according to the existing differences in geographical environment, cropping system, farm scale, and economic status among different countries and regions. This paper summarizes the research progress and application status of potato planters all over the world. Specifically, the seed-metering devices of potato planters are classified firstly. Then, potato planters are classified into three types: potato planters for manual/animal, two-wheel tractor, and four-wheel/crawler tractor traction. Furthermore, the characteristics of some typical commercial potato planters are discussed. Finally, some suggestions are proposed in order to promote the development of potato planters.