Claims:We claim:
1. Singulation and pickup mechanism (Fig. 1) for bare root seedlings of onion, cuttings and the like comprising: pair of pickup fingers (1) in plurality to pickup individual onion seedlings/cutting and like, circular disc (2) to mount the fingers, a seedling hopper (3) to hold multiple onion seedlings/cutting and like, bristle brushes (4) in plurality to prevent multiple pullout of onion seedlings/cutting and like by the pickup fingers from seedling hopper, rubber pads (5) in plurality to support onion seedlings/cutting and like or loss of onion seedlings from seedling hopper, agitation mechanism (6) to agitate the hopper in a designed direction and speed and a guide (7) to regulate opening and closing of pick up finger pairs.
2. Use of pair of flexible pickup fingers (1) made of steel wire, steel sheet, plastic, rubber, spring steel and like material and its arrangement on rotating axle in multiples for pickup of onion seedlings/cutting and like from seedling hopper and release in furrow opener or directly to ground.
3. Use of rubber/plastic and like coating on pickup fingers (1) to avoid physical damage to the onion seedlings/ like during pickup and release operation.
4. Use of guide (7) made of round/ square/ oval hollow or solid bar of spring steel, copper, mild steel, aluminum alloy, plastic and like material for synchronized control of pickup finger opening and closure.
5. Use of support rubber pads (5)/ bristle brushes (4) made of rubber, plastic, spring steel and like material for support to onion seedlings and pickup finger passage.
6. Use of (1), (2), (7) with (3), (4), (5), (6) or its combination i.e. with or without (4), (5) and (6) for singulated pickup of onion seedlings/cutting and like.
7. Use of agitator/vibrator (6) cam operated or electric motor operated to agitate/oscillate seedling hopper top and its synchronization with pickup finger movement to fill the voids/gaps uniformly and enhance pickup efficiency.
8. Unique size, shape and orientation of hopper top (V-shaped section with cut bottom of width 25-35mm) and bottom (semi-circular section with rectangular channel of size (15x15 mm to 25x10 mm) made of mild steel, aluminum (its alloys), steel sheet, plastic, rubber, spring steel and like material for free downward flow of seedlings and seedling singulation.
9. Use of rubber/bristle arrangement shown in Fig. 1 for seedling orientation and singulation.
10. The singulation and pickup mechanism is driven by rotary power from ground wheel or through any other rotating power source. , Description:Prior art related to seedling pickup and singulation
The onion seedlings/ scallions/ green onion are grown in commercial nurseries or at farmers’ field and are then transplanted in field at 45-60 days age (Bindumathi Mohan, 2015; Vinod Kumar, 2012; http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/horticulture/horti_vegetables_small%20onion.html;). Also, the cuttings used for propagation of flowers or ornamental plants are directly transplanted in the field. In India, seedlings/cutting or like – are commonly known as root washed /bare root seedlings - are transplanted manually at spacings of 10-15 cm (onion); 20-30 cm (cuttings) and more than 30 cm (like) with row to row spacings more than 15 cm (http://www.dogr.res.in/index.php/en/onion/transplanting). In this method (which is predominant in India), labour takes the bunch/bundle of seedlings in one hand and other hand is used for making the indent/hole, with thumb; placing seedling in the indent/hole and pressing soil around the bulb firmly in well prepared (generally) wet soil.
Automatic isolation/separation/singulation of the seedlings/cuttings/like from its bunch/bundle is a very difficult process. The interventions (JP5678973B2, JP5949728B2) to mechanize the transplanting operation have been restricted to larger sized vegetable seedlings - known as plug seedlings (seedling grown in special seedling trays/protrays) - with manual seedling pickup and placement in the pickup fingers or rotating magazines.
There are few inventions disclosed in patent US4289080A, Japanese Patent Laid Open Gazette 2001-211713, Indian Patent. 233897: “VEGETABLE TRANSPLANTER” US6327986B1 - Field transplanter that utilizes automatic seedling pickup mechanisms. However, these mechanisms are specially developed for plug seedlings. There is no mechanism existing (worldwide) that can isolate/ separate/ singulate the seedling from its bunch/bindle of till date.

References:
Bindumathi Mohan (2015). Production technology in onion and Garlic; http://www.krishisewa.com/articles/organic-agriculture/509-organic-onion-cultivation.html
Vinod Kumar (2012). Sowing of Onion Crop; http://agropedia.iitk.ac.in/content/sowing-onion-crop