Abstract: Transplanters are one of key pieces of equipment in China's agricultural mechanization process．As core executive component, transplanting mechanisms' performance directly determines overall quality of transplanting operation．A systematic analysis was conducted on working principles, applicable conditions, and advantages and disadvantages of four mainstream planting mechanisms: clamp type, hanging cup type, flexible disc type, and seedling guide tube type．On this basis, two main technical approaches for optimizing and improving planting mechanisms were summarized．These include optimizing planting trajectories through kinematic and dynamic parameter adjustments, and directly enhancing planting performance through mechanism innovation and structural improvement．The current planting mechanisms for transplanter in China faced several major challenges, including a significant trade-off between seedling stability and operation speed, insufficient adaptability to soil conditions, and a need for improved reliability and durability．For future, three key development trends were anticipated for transplanters planting mechanisms: intelligence and adaptability based on sensing and control technologies, precision and high-speed operation performance, and specialized and modular mechanism design．