Seed bombing

In Nature by Anja, November 22, 2015

A good use for old military planes – planting trees everywhere!

Seed bombing or aerial reforestation is a farming technique where trees and other crops are planted by being thrown or dropped from an airplane or flying drone. The “seed bombs” are typically compressed bundles of soil containing live vegetation, which are ready to grow as soon as they hit the ground.

Up to 900,000 young trees can be planted in a day

The earliest known record of seed bombing goes back to 1930, when planes were used to reforest certain areas in the mountains of Honolulu. Seed bombing is also widely used in Africa; where they are put in barren or simply grassy areas. With technology expanding, the contents of a seed bomb are now placed in a biodegradable container and “bombed” grenade-style onto the land.

“Seed bombs” by Kevan Davis is licensed under CC BY 2.0

As the sprout grows, the container biodegrades into the soil. The process is usually done as a large-scale project with hundreds dropped in a single area at any one time. Provided enough water, adequate sunlight, and low competition from existing flora and fauna, seed-bombed barren land could be host to new plants in as little as a month.

Check out the video below to find out how you can make your own seed bombs!