This SBIR Phase I project will develop a biodegradable fabric "pod" for use in reforestation of areas after fires or logging. The company is applying it's expertise in fiber weaving to manufacture an innovative device that allows the growth of seedlings on top of the soil and eliminates the need for manual planting. This project will examine the feasibility of using the biodegradable pods that contain all the necessary soil, fertilizers, and nutrients needed as an alternative to traditional plastic growing containers.
The broader/commercial impact of the project will be an increase in the efficiency and reduction of the cost of reforestation projects throughout the US. This will likely have dramatic impact on forestry businesses and ecological diversity in the nation's forest land. Planting labor would be reduced and products would allow effective aerial or vehicular distribution in difficult to access areas. Loss of North American forests has accelerated recently due to a variety of reasons such as pine bark beetle infestations and climate change. Replacing lost trees will become an urgent need in the future. The project will result in the eventual replacement of trees lost through natural processes and human activities.
Biodegradable seed pod containers are used to encapsulate a precise mixture of soil, seeds, fertilizer, and other additives required to provide a young seedling with an optimal growing environment. Once manufactured, these 8" diameter seed pods can be distributed on top of the soil for easier planting of large and hard to reach locations. This technology can be extremely useful for repopulating native herbaceous species after floods, fires, and other natural disasters have destroyed the native vegetation. The potential for aerial distribution opens up large opportunities to quickly and efficiently repopulate difficult to reach areas, such as swamps, steep inclines, and other inaccessible places. Our Phase I SBIR research was dedicated to demonstrating the feasibility of this technology by distributing hundreds of seed pods on a reclaimed strip mine site in Eastern Kentucky. This plot had been surface mined several decades ago and had been restored with prairie grasses and other ground cover. It was void of any native tree growth. The Phase I research was designed to evaluate the potential for seed pods to be used as an alternative to direct sowing of seed or planting seedlings. Our research has shown that seeds will germinate inside the pods and that roots will penetrate through the containers and grow down into the soil. A separate phase of the research project was directed towards evaluating the technology in a greenhouse environment, under optimal growing conditions. In this phase of the testing, different substrate materials were evaluated and water absorption and retention rates were measured. As we further improve upon the existing status of the technology, we will focus effort on optimizing the growing media used inside the seed pods. Moisture retention and adequate water availability proved to be one of the larger challenges. With a large exposed area, the pods were susceptible to high rates of evaporation. The amount of drainage and water retention is also a concern.
