Can Seeds Planted by Drones Spawn New Forests?

Still, it got them noticed. In October 2018, CO2 Revolution was named one of the 100 best start-ups in the world in a competition organized by the innovation platform, South Summit.

Soon after, CO2 Revolution landed its first big client, the multinational corporation, LG Electronics Iberia, which hired them to sow trees on burned land outside Madrid. An agreement was also signed to use LG’s screen technology for improved drone flight precision.

The client list began to grow and investors, such as the Regional Government of Navarra, were attracted.

Mr. Sesma and Mr. Sánchez brought on board a handpicked group of microbiologists, engineers and software programmers.

On a recent morning, in his sun-drenched lab in central Spain, a forestry engineer, Jaime Olaizola, gestured toward a stack of plastic dishes containing samples of pine and cedar seeds.

Dr. Olaizola, 47, who specializes in researching micro-organisms in the soil, explained that the seeds, which he calls iseeds, are designed to anticipate problems they will encounter when dropped into the wild. Their clay coating is the key. It contains a potent mix: plant extracts to dissuade rodents; dried hydrogel to retain humidity; fungi to boost defenses; and Bohemian truffle to capture nutrients and stimulate root development.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/31/climate/deforestation-seeds-environment.html