Crowd-funded start-up AirSeed Technologies has developed a drone system that can plant see on a mass scale, firing specially encased seed pods into the ground at a rate of 2 seeds per second. AirSeed co-founder Andrew Walker believes this is significant step in the restoration of deforested and bushfire affected areas. If effective, drones could greatly accelerate reforestations efforts around the world. AirSeed Technologies has already completed successful trials, with the latest planting 100,000 trees in Central West Africa.
Whilst the company is not the first to use drones for seeding purposes, Associate Professor David Suggett from the University of Technology Sydney believes the ballistic technology and seed casing make these more efficient than predecessors. The seed pods, encased in a such away to prevent them from being eaten before they can bud, are purmped up with additional nutrients and probiotics to encourage growth success.
However, it's not all about the planting. Professor Suggett, who is involved with the project, said what's really challenging is to be aware of the state you want the ecosystems to be in, as it's impossible to replant all of the species that have been lost.
Whilst drones are currently "not being used for reseeding bushfire impacted areas," the Department of Agriculture, Water andthe Environment expects that drone technology will play an important role in habitat recovery.
Yet, AirSeed Technologies argues recovery isn't a blanket solution to deforestation. Professor Suggett said we can't be caught in the process of just adapting to a warming planet. "We absolutely know that the fundamental goal is solving climate change."
