REVEGETATION: Seed handling made easier

AUSTRALIA – Those clever Australians at the University of Western Australia and the Botanic Gardens and Parts Authority have invented a treatment for native seeds that makes them easier to handle, thus making revegetation easier. They have created the “seed flamer” that repeatedly exposes seeds to a flame inside a rotating drum. The fluffy appendages and hairs on the outsides of the seeds are removed. Careful control of the process removes the fuzz without impairing the seeds’ ability to germinate. The seeds no longer stick together, making storage and handling simpler. The flaming device has been patented and a partnership to support the commercialization of the invention is being offered through UWA’s Research Development and Innovation office. For their efforts the developers won the Mitsubishi Corp. emerging Innovation award that came with a A$25,000 prize.