Mauricio Mercadante / FlickrDipteryx alata, typical of the Cerrado, was one of the species that benefited from the techniqueMauricio Mercadante / Flickr
Cardboard from egg cartons was mixed with cornstarch gum to produce biodegradable capsules that can help in tree planting. The idea was tested by Karine Lopes as part of her PhD in geography at the Federal University of Jataí (UFJ) in Goiás. “Some farmers use seed balls made of soil, but there were previously no biodegradable capsules,” she says. The team planted seeds of Dipteryx alata, Anadenanthera colubrina, and Enterolobium maximum, all trees native to the Cerrado biome, some in the capsules and others not. In the processed cardboard capsules, the germination rates were 97% (D. alata), 42% (A. colubrina), and 12% (E. maximum), compared to 15%, 21%, and 8% respectively when planted directly in the soil. The hope is that capsules spread by drones will help with reforestation. The project was presented at the National Aviation Congress in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, in July, and the researchers are awaiting the outcome of negotiations between the Federal University of Rondonópolis and mining company Vale to continue the research in the municipality of Mariana, Minas Gerais, which was devastated by the collapse of the Fundão dam in 2015 (Agência Bori, October 18).
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