SYDNEY, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A group of researchers from the Australian Institute of Botanical Science and Western Sydney University (WSU) has used drones to restore diverse native vegetation at Australia's biggest botanic garden, Mount Annan.
Lead researcher, WSU Associate Professor Rachael Gallagher told Xinhua on Monday they used customized drones and seed pod delivery systems from an Australian start-up, AirSeed, and made it possible to plant up to 40,000 seed pods per day.
"Restoration is expensive and time-consuming, particularly when undertaken using seedlings grown in nurseries before they are planted out by hand. Sometimes seed can be distributed directly at a site, but this results in a lot of wastage," Gallagher said.
Drone technology offers a really nice middle ground, where seeds can be distributed and planted efficiently, and the costs of labor associated with planting by hand reduced, she said.
The drones contain pre-formed seed pods which contain seeds, nutrients and microbial inoculants that will support seedlings. It will fly over to assess the planting area using remote sensing and distribute pods in a precise and predetermined pattern.
Researchers said Mount Annan is home to Cumberland Plain native plants, and the affected land at Mount Annan was cleared by an invasive weed African olive. The Cumberland Plain Woodland and western Sydney dry rainforest communities are now critically endangered.
"We can't meet the significant goals of national and global restoration programs by sticking with the status quo," Gallagher said.
"We urgently need new techniques which reduce seed wastage and are capable of planting lots of species fast which will lead to benefits for both carbon sequestration and biodiversity." ■