Open Science

Open source forest science

In Dronecoria and Semillistas we have been carrying out for several years our own line of research on the enhancement of native forest seeds. This amazing work is carried out by various experts who collaborate in the research. We publish the advances in our blog, social networks, and other academic formats.

We share our experiments and results so they can be replicated and accessible to everyone. We think they can be very relevant to the science around ecosystem restorations and could help reforestation projects based on direct sowing.

If you want to help in the development of technology we contact you through the volunteer form.

If you want to support us financially so that we continue to improve this technology, you can do so from the Donate page.

Our research

priming

Priming treatments ensure that seeds that would take years to germinate can do so with a single rain, which is essential in arid areas. This is achieved by eliminating latencies and optimizing seeds to different environmental conditions.

coating

Pelleting is based on coating the seeds with various materials to introduce nutrients, repellents, mycorroid bacteria/fungus, water retainers, etc. This is necessary for any sowing on the surface, otherwise the establishment rates are too low.

Mycorrhiza

Mycorrhizal fungal spores may be included in the pelletization process. So the plant and fungus can begin their symbiosis relationship as soon as possible. This increases the vigor of the plant’s growth and its strength.

Publications

LIBRO - Automated Forest Restoration: Could Robots Revive Rain Forests?

In 2015 we went to Chiang Mai University in Thalandia to the Forest Restoration Research Unit, and participated in an advance workshop of its time: Automated Ecosystem Restoration. Can robots revive forests?

We shared for a week with ecologists, biologists, NGOs and engineers from all over the world, trying to answer this question, and as a result of this meeting after years of editions and revisions, the book has finally been published on the occasion of the Reforestation for Biodiversity, Carbon Capture and Livelihoods conference. You can watch the presentation of the book in this video.

You can download the book for free, with advanced content, from identifying species with satellite image, aerial seeding with drones, or localizing wildlife from the air.

PAPER - Estudio de 2 tipos de tratamientos de hydropriming en 10 especies silvestres del sureste español

The current study addresses the study of the priming treatments of 10 forest species in southern-east Spain: juniperus phoenicea, pinus halepensis, arbutus unedo, digital obscura, daphne gnidium, genista umbellata, genista spartioides, lavandula stoechas, lavandula latifolia and rumex scutatus.

This laboratory study is complemented by a field trial, in which 5 of these species were sown in 8 locations in the Iberian Peninsula during December 2020, to observe the effects of the use of seeds printed on forest restoration, in addition to the effects on the use of nurse plants and ectomicorrhydes spores. This field study is currently under development and we will publish the results soon.