SeedDrops™ overcome the challenges of establishing wetland plants on-site from seed. Each SeedDrop consists of a natural starch-based polymer capsule that contains one or more wetland plant seeds and a dry medium that is a mixture of soils and other additives. SeedDrops™ are formulated to be dense enough to sink in water but still light enough to make them easy to transport and handle.
SeedDrops™ may be distributed in a wetland setting by hand or using mechanical methods (such as seed spreaders), and can be used on surfaces that are dry, saturated, or inundated at the time of application. When SeedDrops™ come into contact with sufficient moisture the capsule gradually dissolves, exposing the dry medium within the capsule to moisture. The medium hydrates and expands, taking on a consistency similar to soils that would be found in wetland habitats. The resulting particle rests on the target surface and holds the seeds in place until environmental conditions allow the seeds to germinate.
Each SeedDrop capsule contains seeds from a single wetland plant species. Capsules may be manufactured in a variety of colors, making the species they contain easy to identify. A mixture of capsules of different species may be applied to obtain desired plant diversity.
