Just like babies need care and nurturing, plants need protection from erratic climate swings. Not offering proper care could very well result in the demise of the plant before it even gets a chance to thrive. But technology has found an ingenious solution to this problem.
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An Amsterdam-based company has developed seed cocoons that allow the trees to grow and thrive, despite the harsh climatic conditions that nature throws against them.
The cocoon is essentially a doughnut-shaped flower pot, made of recycled cardboard and is fully recyclable. The centre of the doughnut, which houses the plant holds the seed, along with natural nutrients and fungi, whereas the outer ring of the doughnut holds up to three months of water for the seedlings.?
Together, they create a sort of microclimate that can allow the seedling to grow and flourish without the need for regular rain or watering via irrigation. In fact, growing the seeds in such cocoons boosts the survival rate of the seedlings from 10 percent to a considerable 90 percent.?
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But before planting the seedlings, the team conducts an analysis of the planting sites, their weather, rising temperatures as well as future stresses the seedlings could be subjected to. They do this with the help of drone-based terrain analyses and info collected from local landowners to create a detailed blueprint.
The blueprint enables the trees to be planted efficiently in a way that optimises climate impact. They use the tech to pick and devise a growing plan perfect for a particular batch of plants, as well as understanding what plants would thrive better in those conditions.
For planting, they used a GPS-enabled automated planting system to maintain growth speed and efficiency.
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After planting the cocoons a bunch of sensors on it help in analysing the health of the soil, moisture and the health of the seedlings via an app. As they grow over a metre tall, they’re monitored with the help of drones and when they grow over five metres, satellites help with real-time monitoring.?
On the company’s website, Land Life Company states that it’s on a mission to restore the world's two billion hectares of degraded land.?
What do you think about this unique reforestation endeavour? Tell us in the comments below and keep reading Indiatimes.com for the latest science and technology news.