Aerial Seeding UPSC

Aerial Seeding

Aerial seeding is a plantation technique wherein seed balls are sprayed on the pre-determined location using aerial devices, including planes, helicopters or drones. 

These pellets sprout when there is enough rain, with nutrients present within them helping in initial growth. 

Seed balls are seeds covered with a mixture of clay, compost, char and other components.

Advantages of Aerial Seeding :-

1. Aerial Seeding is practiced in areas that are either difficult to reach or inaccessible altogether, where traditional methods of plantation are difficult. 

2. Aerial Seeding eliminate any need for ploughing and digging holes in the soil and do not need to be planted since they are already surrounded by soil, nutrients, and microorganisms. 

3. The clay shell used in Aerial Seeding also protects seeds from birds, ants and rats. 

Recent Development:-

Haryana has employed Aerial Seeding technique to improve green cover in Aravalli area of Faridabad. 

Recently, Ecological degradation in the Aravalli region has become an alarming situation due to issues like increasing urbanisation, illegal mining activities, uncontrolled grazing and felling of trees, unfavourable climatic conditions etc.