For years, a Cameron Highlands vegetable farm owner battled the tedious and inefficient process of sowing Chrysanthemum Greens (Tang Oh) seeds. Unlike the round and manageable Pak Choy, these tiny, sharp and irregularly shaped seeds defied both traditional bare-hand sowing and the limitations of his existing mechanical tool. The backbreaking process left him yearning for a faster, more effective solution.
In January 2023, the ViTrox Agritech (“VAG”) team introduced the V-Seeder prototype, a glimmer of hope amidst the farmer's frustrations. V-Seeder machines can fit most types of seeds with various shapes and sizes. The compact and movable machine can also be customised according to different seedling tray sizes.
Eager to test its potential, the team visited his 7-acre farm in March 2023. There, amidst rolling hills and verdant greens, they witnessed firsthand the challenges he faced. The 200-hole mechanical tool, perfect for Pak Choy, proved ill-suited for the delicate and unpredictable Tang Oh seeds.
While initial trials on the VAG’s Ara Kuda farm were promising, the R&D team faced several design considerations before widespread deployment. Cost was a crucial factor, as most low- and medium-scale farmers couldn’t afford expensive machinery. Similarly, the machine's size needed to be compact to fit limited farm spaces.
Testing with Tang Oh seeds revealed another hurdle: the sharp seeds occasionally jammed the V-Seeder’s vacuum nozzles. This prompted the R&D team to explore innovative solutions for smoother seed handling.
The journey continued in June 2023 with the V-Seeder’s delivery to the farm. The team encountered further challenges during the on-site installation. The bumpy, narrow roads leading to the farm added to the difficulty. Additionally, the farm’s dusty and humid environment necessitated a corrosion-resistant machine structure to prevent rust. Filters were also installed in the compressed air and vacuum system to counter air moisture, resulting in a splash-proof and long-lasting machine.
Other valuable lessons emerged from the installation. The steep terrain of Cameron Highlands farms led to the development of machines with adjustable height wheels for enhanced stability. Limited farm power supply prompted the engineers to design the V-Seeder with low electricity consumption. Finally, recognising the farm labourers' low literacy levels, the team ensured the machine operation was simple and user-friendly.
Prior to the V-Seeder’s arrival, sowing Tang Oh seeds was a labour-intensive process – 8 workers spent 3 hours to produce a mere 80 trays. The V-Seeder transformed this arduous task. Only 3 workers were needed for a swift 30-minute operation, yielding 150 trays. The seeding accuracy was equally impressive, with the machine achieving a minimum of 95% success rate. Installing a V-Seeder can save an average of 0.29 work hours per tray and RM2.72 per tray.
| Unit | Manual Seedling | Seedling with V-Seeder | |
| Number of workers | pax | 8 | 3 |
| Time spent | hour | 3.00 | 0.50 |
| Average time per tray | hour | 0.30 | 0.01 |
| Cost per tray | RM | 2.81 | 0.09 |
The farm owner declared his complete satisfaction with the V-Seeder’s performance. As the owner expanded the farm scale, the V-Seeder machine became a helpful tool for the farm workers to handle a larger seedling scale. Not only had it saved him time and human power, but it had also brought a level of precision and efficiency he never thought possible.
