Abstract: The invention relates to a seedling transportation process and apparatus (1) for a transplanting machine to be mounted on a planting vehicle. It includes a seedling tray transportation section that comprises means (35) for guiding and removing an empty tray (36) from the apparatus and means (28) for feeding and advancing an adjacent new tray (29) carrying the seedlings (2) along a path into the apparatus. It comprises also means (30) for positioning said new tray in view of the picking-up of said seedlings per row (32) from said new tray by a row of picking means (34) mounted in a seedling transfer device (3) for depositing the seedlings onto a first horizontal conveyor (4) in the apparatus (1).