GB1584030A

GB1584030A - Method of and device for sowing seeds

Info

Publication number: GB1584030A
Application number: GB22961/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-05-26
Filing date: 1978-05-26
Publication date: 1981-02-04

Description

(54) METHOD OF, AND DEVICE FOR, SOWING SEEDS (71) I, MATS HAGNER, a Swedish subject of Blabarsvagen 19, S-902 35 Umea, Sweden, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a method of sowing seeds in a wood or forest in the humus or soil underlying a surface layer of unrotted vegetation. The invention also relates to a device for use in this method.

The natural sowing of forest seeds in a forest or wood takes place in the surface vegetable matter during the late winter/early spring. Large quantities of the naturally sown seed are eaten by birds and rodents before they have had time to germinate. Of those seeds which do succeed in germinating in the surface layer, a large proportion dry out and die before they have grown sufficiently long roots to reach the underlying moisturecontaining humus or soil layer. Many of the seedlings which are nevertheless obtained are damaged by various insects which feed on the seedlings.

To avoid the above-mentioned risks of damage, forest seeds are normally sown in forests or woodland on mineral soil from which the moss or other vegetable matter and humus have been removed. Such soil preparation, which is done with special tractordrawn units, is both time-consuming and very expensive. Moreover, such soil preparation cannot be carried out in rocky or steeply sloping terrain.

When sowing is carried out on exposed mineral soil, the use of a conical plastics shield which is placed over the seeds has been introduced in recent years. The plastics cone, which protects the small seedlings from birds and rodents among other things, is then placed with its base downwards on a soil layer prepared by scarification. This soil layer remains continuously moist because capillaries in the mineral soil carry water up from deeper soil layers. Attempts to sow seeds directly in the humus layer immediately overlying the inorganic soil by utilizing this technique have, however, given very poor results, the reason being that the humus material dries out severely even under the cone. Moreover, so much vegetation is then developed in the cone from roots and soil stems exposed to light that the tree seedlings are outcompeted.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a method of, and a device for, enabling forest seeds to be sown in a forest or woodland directly in the humus layer in such a way that all the above-mentioned disadvantages are overcome.

To this end, according to this invention, I provide a method of sowing a seed or seeds in a forest or woodland directly in a humus layer underlying a layer of unrotted vegetable material, wherein the humus layer is compacted locally and lastingly at the positions in which the seed or seeds are to be sown by pressing a funnel-like shield downwards into the humus layer with its narrow end downwards, sowing the seed or seeds on the compacted humus material in an opening at the bottom of the shield and leaving the shield in position.

This procedure has been found to give a very good germination of the seeds and provides, if the shield is closed at its open upper end by means of a suitable light-transmitting cover, effective protection of the seedling against, inter alia, insect attack. The good germination of the seeds is due in the first instance to the fact that by the method in accordance with the invention a relatively high moisture content is obtained in the compacted humus in the bottom opening of the shield, as this compacted humus allows far more effective water transport than the otherwise loose and capillary-lacing humus layer. In consequence of the funnel-like shape of the shield, the moisture condensing on the wall of the shield, due to the fall in temperature inside the funnel during the night which makes this temperature considerably lower than the temperature of the humus material outside the shield, is supplied to the humus close to the seed or seeds and is conveyed to the seed or seeds through the compacted humus.

In order to obtain a satisfactorily high moisture content at the seed or seeds, it is preferable for the funnel-like shield to have an opening area at its bottom end which only slightly exceeds the plan area occupied by the seed or seeds sown in each shield. An incidental advantage then obtained is that the vegetation in the shield which competes for moisture with the seed or seeds, is reduced to a minimum. Additionally, pressing down of the shield into the humus layer is facilitated if the bottom opening of the shield is made small.

Preferably, the cover has the shape of a cone which at its upper end is slotted along a number of generatrices. An equivalent device can be formed by making the device with a lower, funnel-shaped shield which is formed integrally with an upwardly tapering cover, the device being axially divided into two halves which are hinged together along a generatrix of the conical cover.

The invention also consists, according to another of its aspects, in a device for use in the method in accordance with the invention, the device comprising a funnel-shaped shield arranged to be pressed down into the humus layer with its narrow end downwards to compact the humus, the shield having openings at its bottom and at its upper end, and a cover of light-transmitting material for closing the opening at the upper end of the shield.

An example of a method and two examples of devices in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a partly sectional perspective view of one device comprising a funnelshaped shield with a detachable, conical cover; Figure 2 is a side elevation of a second device comprising a combined funnel-shaped shield and conical cover; and Figure 3 shows the device of Figure 2 in an opened-out condition.

Figure 1 shows a funnel-shaped shield 1, which has been pressed down through a layer of moss 2 or other unrotted vegetable matter and into an underlying humus layer 3. The humus at the lower opening of the shield 1 has then been compacted, as indicated at reference numeral 4. Underlying mineral soil 5 constantly remains moist because capillaries in the mineral soil transport water up from deeper soil layers.

After the shield 1 has been pressed down into the humus layer, a number of seeds 6, usually from 3 to 5, are sown on the compacted humus material 4 in the lower opening of the shield 1, whereupon a cover 7 is applied to the shield. The cover 7 is made of a light transmitting material and in this example is conical, which causes it to act as a deflector and prevent falling objects such as leaves and grass from screening the penetration of light into the shield 1. At its upper end, the conical cover 7 is split along a number of surface lines to form a series of tongues 8 of material.

These prevent inter alia insects from being able to attack the plant growing in the funnel, but permit the top of the plant to eventually grow through the cover 7 which it does by bending out the tongues 8.

As mentioned above, the germination of the seeds 6 sown on the compacted humus material 4 in the lower opening of the shield 1 will be very good. One of the contributory reasons for this is that the shield, in consequence of its shape, will supply moisture condensing on it to the compacted humus material close to the seeds, the moisture being transported to the seeds in consequence of the capillary effect in the compacted humus material 4. The said effect can also contribute to the transport of moisture from deeper soil layers up to the seeds 6. Through the compaction of the humus material 4 at the lower opening of the shield 1 moisture can thus be transported to the seeds 6 through the otherwise loose and capillary-lacking humus layer 3.

To ensure a satisfactory moisture supply to the seeds 6 it is of importance for the area of the lower opening of the funnel to be as close as possible to the smallest area needed in order for all the seeds which are to be sown in one funnel to rest completely against the humus.

The second example shown in Figures 2 and 3 comprises a lower, funnel-shaped shield 9 and connected thereto an upper conical cover 10. The combined shield and cover is axially divided, the two halves being hinged together along a generatrix 11 of the conical cover 10. In this example also, the upper portion of the cover 10 is slotted to provide tongues 8 of material. With this device, the shield is pressed, in the same way as the shield in Figure 1, down into the humus layer 3 with the narrow end of the shield directed downwards. In this way compaction of the humus at the lower opening of the shield 9 is effected.

The required number of seeds 6 are then sown on the compacted material by inserting the seeds into the shield 9 through the slots between the tongues 8 of the cover 10. The reliable retention of the device in the ground the shield 9 is provided with two bands of barbs 12.

The example of the device shown in Figures 2 and 3 possesses inter alia the advantage of being made in one piece. A further advantage of this example is that the lower portion of the seedling can when growing burst apart the shield 9 close to the lower opening. In both this and the first example the shield is made of a readily degradable material.

By means of the technique described above it is thus possible to sow with very good results seeds directly in the humus layer. This produces substantial savings in both time and cost in afforestation. The devices described above for carrying out the method can, however, be varied in several respects. Thus for example the cross-sectional area and shape of both the shield which is pressed down into the ground and of the cone-shaped cover can be varied as desired, depending on, inter alia, the sowing method and the type of soil.

Both the shield and the cover can also have split side walls. The inclination of the walls of the shield can also be chosen at will, although the shield will be easier to press down the smaller its angle of taper. On the other hand, there should be a certain minimum inclination both to permit light to penetrate down to the seedling and to provide space for growth of the seedling. Instead of a conical shape, the cover can be given any other shape which permits the necessary light to penetrate to the seedling. If so desired, the cover can be provided with a circumscribing groove protruding down into the shield, provided with holes through which rain water can be supplied to the inside of the shield.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A method of sowing a seed or seeds in a forest or woodland directly in a humus layer underlying a layer of unrotted vegetable material, wherein the humus layer is compacted locally and lastingly at the positions in which the seed or seeds are to be sown by pressing a funnel-like shield downwards into the humus layer with its narrow end downwards, sowing the seed or seeds on the compacted humus material in an opening at the bottom of the shield and leaving the shield in position.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opening of the funnel-like shield has an area only slightly exceeding the area as seen in plan occupied by the seed or seeds sown in the shield.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the seed or seeds sown in the shield are protected by means of a cover of light transmitting material closing a wider opening at the upper end of the funnel-shaped shield.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the shield is formed integrally with an upwardly tapering cover, the device being axially divided into two halves which are hinged together along an axially extending line on the cover.

5. A method according to claim 4, in which the cover is conical and the two halves are hinged together along a generatrix of the cover.

6. A device for use in the method in accordance with claim 3, the device comprising a funnel-shaped shield arranged to be pressed down into the humus layer with its narrow end downwards to compact the humus, the shield having openings at its bottom and at its upper end, and a cover of light-transmitting material for closing the opening at the upper end of the shield.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the light-transmitting cover is of upwardly tapering conical shape and is axially slit at its upper end along a plurality of generatrices of the conical cover.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the shield is integral with the cover and is axially divided into two halves which are hinged together along a generatrix.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the two halves are hinged together along a generatrix of the cover.

10. A method according to claim 1, substantially as described with reference to Figure 1 or Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A device according to claim 6, substantially as described with reference to Figure 1 or Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. produces substantial savings in both time and cost in afforestation. The devices described above for carrying out the method can, however, be varied in several respects. Thus for example the cross-sectional area and shape of both the shield which is pressed down into the ground and of the cone-shaped cover can be varied as desired, depending on, inter alia, the sowing method and the type of soil. Both the shield and the cover can also have split side walls. The inclination of the walls of the shield can also be chosen at will, although the shield will be easier to press down the smaller its angle of taper. On the other hand, there should be a certain minimum inclination both to permit light to penetrate down to the seedling and to provide space for growth of the seedling. Instead of a conical shape, the cover can be given any other shape which permits the necessary light to penetrate to the seedling. If so desired, the cover can be provided with a circumscribing groove protruding down into the shield, provided with holes through which rain water can be supplied to the inside of the shield. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A method of sowing a seed or seeds in a forest or woodland directly in a humus layer underlying a layer of unrotted vegetable material, wherein the humus layer is compacted locally and lastingly at the positions in which the seed or seeds are to be sown by pressing a funnel-like shield downwards into the humus layer with its narrow end downwards, sowing the seed or seeds on the compacted humus material in an opening at the bottom of the shield and leaving the shield in position.