Irrigation System for a Roller-Type Onion Pot Seeding Machine

Round  1

Reviewer 1 Report

Authors din an excellent job on finding proper operating parameter for drip irrigation system. However, I did not find any significant scientific contribution (new knowledge) in this paper. Authors did not design/developed any new equipment/method or improvement of current technology. Authors adopted an existing technology that works for their application. I believe author can work on this paper and further improve in design/methods that would be new contribution and useful for scientific community.  Some of the comments are below

-          Author used some abbreviation without prior description, such as table 1 P448

-          Author described about different irrigation system with Figures. Figures (2-6) are not necessary. In addition, all these description must be in the introduction section not in methodology.

-          Section 2.3 also be a part of introduction and section 3.1, 3.2 must move to method section.

-          Methods and result section must be separated

-          Author used seedling growth (germination, leaves…) as verification factor for the irrigation factor. Those also depend on many other criteria, not only irrigation system. These results could be found with other irrigation method as well. Author must use other technique to evaluate their system.

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 1 Comments

To reviewer,

Thank you for your valuable comments. The paper is improved by your comments.

We modified the paper following your comments, and our responds to the comments are as follows: (all the changes are expressed in red color)

Point 1: Author used some abbreviation without prior description, such as table 1 P448

Response 1: The abbreviation P448 is changed to the related full name in Table 1. (line 93)

Point 2: Author described about different irrigation system with Figures. Figures (2-6) are not necessary. In addition, all these description must be in the introduction section not in methodology.


Response 2: Figures (2-6) are deleted, and all the related descriptions are moved to introduction section. (line 46-67)

Point 3: Section 2.3 also be a part of introduction and section 3.1, 3.2 must move to method section.

Response 3:   Section 2.3 is moved to introduction section. (line 68-75)

Section 3.1 is moved to method section. (line 108-172)

Contents of section 3.2 are separated into method and result section as following below mentioned 4th comment of the reviewer. The contents included in method section are shown in line 173-222.

Point 4: Methods and result section must be separated

Response 4: The contents of sections 3.2.3 (flow rate test) and 3.2.5 (Seed and bed soil condition and determination of operating condition) are separated into Methods and Results section. The titles of some sections are also modified to represent their contents more clearly. (line 196-222, line 225-264, line 303-318)

Point 5: Author used seedling growth (germination, leaves…) as verification factor for the irrigation factor. Those also depend on many other criteria, not only irrigation system. These results could be found with other irrigation method as well. Author must use other technique to evaluate their system.

Response 5: In the test, for the both groups, the same bed soil and seeds were used in the same growth environments (temperature, humidity, etc.) so that only the irrigation conditions became influential factors. Also, the results were analyzed using sufficient number of samples to ensure high reliability. So we think the effect of the developed irrigation system can be evaluated with our current method.

The related expressions are added in Section 3.4 to help understanding. (line 330-333)

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

The experimental process and data are very detailed and desirable. But the content is a bit lengthy, the structure is a bit confused. I think this paper need to streamline the content, and re-organizational structure.

Author Response

Point 1: The experimental process and data are very detailed and desirable. But the content is a bit lengthy, the structure is a bit confused. I think this paper need to streamline the content, and re-organizational structure.

Response 1: We rearranged the structure and simplified some contents for easy understanding. We assure the revised paper is better to understand. The details of modification are as follow:

1) Section 2.2 (irrigation system overview) is moved to Introduction section, and Figures (2-6) are deleted. (line 46-67)

2) Section 2.2 (Determination of irrigation type) is moved to Introduction section. (line 68-75)

3) Section 3.1 (Specifications of the developed irrigation system) is moved to method section. (line 108-172)

4) Section 3.2.1 (Experimental conditions) is moved to Method section, and section 3.2.2 (Preliminary experiment to determine the irrigation pipe height) is integrated into Section 3.2.1 as short summaries. (line 174-194)

5) The contents of sections 3.2.3 (flow rate test) and 3.2.5 (Seed and bed soil condition and determination of operating condition) are separated into Methods and Results section. The titles of some sections are also modified to represent their contents more clearly. (line 196-222, line 225-264, line 303-318)

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round  2

Reviewer 1 Report

Author has addressed all the comments. 

Author Response

To reviewer,

Thank you for your valuable and fast comments. The paper is improved by your last comments.

All the best.

Reviewer 2 Report

Authors could improve part of the manuscript. They should make one more effort to make the English correct. Some parts of the manuscript read quite well, other parts need improvements to enhance.

 Here are some specific recommendations, but just reference for the authors, how to modify it is the author's own consideration:

1）Abstract: please let somebody help to revise the abstract and the conclusions, they are not the same thing. And make the English language in a more authentic way.

2）Keywords: add 'agricultural machine'

3）Line 49-51: delete ‘It comprises a sprinkler, nozzle, water pipe, water pump, and a water tank. The water stored in the water tank is transported to the sprinkler through the water pipe, and the sprinkler sprinkles water through the attached nozzle.’

4）Line 52-53: delete ‘It is composed of rails, traction device, transport pipe, high-pressure spray device, nozzle, water pump, and a water tank.’

5）Line 53-54: delete ‘stored in the water tank is transferred to the high-pressure spray device through the water pipe. Then, the water’.

6）Line 58-60: delete ‘It comprises an irrigation pipe, water pipe, water pump, and a water tank. The water stored in the water tank is moved to the irrigation pipe through the water pipe, and water is dropped through the holes in the irrigation pipe.’

7）Line 64-67: delete ‘The existing drip type irrigation systems supply water through a hose connected to the water supply facility because there is no integral water tank. This makes irrigation in places without an appropriate water supply facility impossible.’

8）Line 68-75: change this paragraph into two sentences and add to the last in the last paragraph of the introduction, which can cover all of your work in this paper and can suitable for the Introduction.

9）Line 80: add 'existed' before ‘roller-type onion pot-seeding machine’, because this is the old version where no irrigation system

10）In Figure 1: you should add a marker in the Figure 1 to show the position the irrigation will be placed.

11)  Figure 2: Change this diagram into a standard hydraulic system diagram

12)  Figure 4 a): please change with clearer photo

13)  in Figure 7: please give the names of the parts such as ‘water tank’ and so on

14)  Line 181: add '2,4,2 experimental indexes' in the beginning

15) Line 196: ‘2.4.2’ change to’ (1)’

16) Line 218: ‘2.4.3’ change to’ (2)’

17) Line 266: ‘3.2 Irrigation degree of pot tray’: what is the word ‘degree ‘mean?

      18) Line 303: ‘3.3. Determination of operating condition’: what is this mean? Maybe change this title with 'Effect of the seed position', will be better, please think again, I am not sure.

       19) Conclusions: please simply and change these paragraphs that are the same as before and the Abstract.

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 2 Comments

To reviewer,

Thank you for your valuable comments. The paper is improved by your comments.

We modified the paper following your comments, and our responds to the comments are as follows: (all the changes are expressed in red color)

Point 1: Abstract: please let somebody help to revise the abstract and the conclusions, they are not the same thing. And make the English language in a more authentic way.

Response 1: The Abstract and Conclusions were revised considering the reviewer’s comment. The repeated sentences were deleted and the English language was checked. Also, the contents of Abstract and Conclusions were further summarized. (line 9-14, line 347-359)

Point 2: Keywords: add 'agricultural machine'.

Response 2: The word 'agricultural machine' was added in Keywords. (line 15)

Point 3: Line 49-51: delete ‘It comprises a sprinkler, nozzle, water pipe, water pump, and a water tank. The water stored in the water tank is transported to the sprinkler through the water pipe, and the sprinkler sprinkles water through the attached nozzle.’.

Response 3: The sentences were deleted.

Point 4: Line 52-53: delete ‘It is composed of rails, traction device, transport pipe, high-pressure spray device, nozzle, water pump, and a water tank.’.

Response 4: The sentences were deleted.

Point 5: Line 53-54: delete ‘stored in the water tank is transferred to the high-pressure spray device through the water pipe. Then, the water’.

Response 5: The sentences were deleted.

Point 6: Line 58-60: delete ‘It comprises an irrigation pipe, water pipe, water pump, and a water tank. The water stored in the water tank is moved to the irrigation pipe through the water pipe, and water is dropped through the holes in the irrigation pipe.’.

Response 6: The sentences were deleted.

Point 7: Line 64-67: delete ‘The existing drip type irrigation systems supply water through a hose connected to the water supply facility because there is no integral water tank. This makes irrigation in places without an appropriate water supply facility impossible.’.

Response 7: The sentences was deleted.

Point 8: Line 68-75: change this paragraph into two sentences and add to the last in the last paragraph of the introduction, which can cover all of your work in this paper and can suitable for the Introduction.

Response 8: The paragraph of line 68-75 were deleted. Instead, it summarized into two sentences and added to the last in the last paragraph of the Introduction. (line 51-55)

Point 9: Line 80: add 'existed' before ‘roller-type onion pot-seeding machine’, because this is the old version where no irrigation system.

Response 9: The word ‘existed’ was added before ‘roller-type onion pot-seeding machine’. (line 58)

Point 10: In Figure 1: you should add a marker in the Figure 1 to show the position the irrigation will be placed.

Response 10: The position where the irrigation system will be placed was marked in the Figure 1. (line 68)

Point 11: Figure 2: Change this diagram into a standard hydraulic system diagram.

Response 11: Figure 2 was changed considering the standard hydraulic system diagram (line 128)

Point 12: Figure 4 a): please change with clearer photo.

Response 12: ‘Figure 4a)’ was changed into the clearer photo (line 137)

Point 13: in Figure 7: please give the names of the parts such as ‘water tank’ and so on.

Response 13: Figure 7 was revised as the reviewer’s comment. (line 147)

Point 14: Line 181: add '2,4,2 experimental indexes' in the beginning.

Response 14: Revised as the review’s comment (line 160)

Point 15: Line 196: ‘2.4.2’ change to’ (1)’.

Response 15: Revised as the review’s comment (line 175)

Point 16: Line 218: ‘2.4.3’ change to’ (2)’.

Response 16: Revised as the review’s comment (line 197)

Point 17: Line 266: ‘3.2 Irrigation degree of pot tray’: what is the word ‘degree’ mean?.

Response 17: The word ‘degree’ was changed into ‘amount’ to avoid misunderstanding. (line 245)

Point 18: Line 303: ‘3.3. Determination of operating condition’: what is this mean? Maybe change this title with 'Effect of the seed position', will be better, please think again, I am not sure.

Response 18: The subtitle ‘Determination of operating condition’ was changed into ‘Seed and bed soil condition’ to help understand. (line 282)

Point 19: Conclusions: please simply and change these paragraphs that are the same as before and the Abstract.

Response 19: The Conclusions were revised considering the reviewer’s comment. The repeated sentences were deleted and the contents were further summarized. (line 347-359)

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf