E-seed: Autonomous self-burying seed carriers for aerial seeding

Nature. Issue Feb 16, 2023. Cover story. Link to the paper: Project page: Read the paper for free online: Description: Agriculture and reforestation: Bioinspired seed carrier improves on nature. Aerial seeding is a crucial way to cover large and otherwise inaccessible areas, and can facilitate post-fire reforestation or wildland restoration. However, when a seed lies on the surface, it can be damaged by weather conditions or eaten by wildlife, resulting in low germination rates. Seeds of various grass species can self-bury, an ability that would be advantageous if applied to different seed types. A new biodegradable seed carrier design inspired by the self-drilling behaviour of Erodium seeds is described in a paper in Nature. The seed carrier has a higher implantation success rate than that of Erodium seeds. This technology may improve the effectiveness of aerial seeding to address agricultural and environmental stresses in degraded regions. Authors: Danli Luo, Aditi Maheshwari, Andreea Danielescu, Jiaqi Li, Yue Yang, Ye Tao, Lingyun Sun, Dinesh K. Patel, Guanyun Wang*, Shu Yang*, Teng Zhang*, Lining Yao*. Collaborative Institutes: Morphing Matter Lab, Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University Syracuse University University of Pennsylvania Accenture Labs Zhejiang University