@article{Guo2026, 
author = {Lifeng Guo and Fahui Wu and Junjie Huang and Yizhe Wang and Yujian Bao and Ziliang Li and Yuzhu Wu and Ru Tang and Zhongbin Su and Qiuju Xie and Zheng Ma and Liwei Wang and Xin Zhang},
title = {Design of the compact, stable vertical rice seedling frame for cold regions with DLI-based dynamic light control},
year = {2026},
journal = {International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering},
volume = {19},
number = {2},
pages = {112-119},
keywords = {vertical seedling frame, four-point conveying, anti-tilt rod, daily light integral, LED control, finite-element analysis, greenhouse experiment},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.25165/j.ijabe.20261902.10316},
doi = {10.25165/j.ijabe.20261902.10316},
abstract = {Traditional flat-bed rice nurseries in cold regions require large areas and suffer from inefficient tray movement and instability. A compact vertical rice seedling frame is developed in this work, which integrates a triangular-stabilized tray support, a four-point conveying mechanism, and anti-tilt/anti-torsion features, coupled with a dynamic lighting control strategy based on daily light integral (DLI). The mechanical design was validated by finite-element analysis under design loads, and collision-free operation was confirmed by digital mock-up simulation and prototype tests. In greenhouse trials comparing the vertical frame to conventional flat cultivation, the frame increased space-use efficiency to ΔP = 119.29% (i.e., ≈19.29% higher than the flat bench), while maintaining seedling coverage at 98%±1% (ns) and stem diameter (ns), and producing significantly shorter (more compact) seedlings (p<0.05; a/b). These results demonstrate a practical pathway for high-density automated seedling production in cold climates using intelligent vertical systems.}
}