Priming and Pelleting Native Boreal Seed for Land Reclamation

鉴于严格的监管标准和高成本的回收作业，石油和天然气（O&G）行业有动力创新和引进优化北方种子使用的技术。北方研究机构建议开发两种综合技术（原生种子的灌浆和造粒）并将其作为原型，以便在森林复垦作业中实现商业规模的北方原生物种直接播种。种子灌浆是一种刺激种子吸收水分从而开始发芽代谢过程的方法。种子造粒是一种将种子包裹在涂层中的技术。对于广泛应用这种做法的农用作物，其结果是生产速度更快，产量更高。与许多农业植物不同，大多数北方原生植物的种子非常小，许多种子成熟后都处于休眠状态。种子休眠通常通过分层和/或切割预处理来克服。虽然分层种子不能成粒，因为它们会很快失去活力，但种子灌浆与成粒相结合可能是原生北方种子的一种选择，因为灌浆会唤醒这些种子，但会使其处于“预发芽”状态，直到重新湿润。迄今为止，还没有已知的研究集中在本地种子和造粒的耦合启动。本研究的目的是评估北方本地物种对种子激发和颗粒处理组合的萌发和出现。该项目结合了实验室和温室研究，开发针对每个优先原生北方物种的启动和造粒方法和技术。灌浆和造粒的结合有潜力：1)使种子均匀发芽和出现；2)实现更快、更完整的植被覆盖，从而提供早期侵蚀控制和微场地的形成。在为森林复垦进行原型和测试后，将为工业和中小企业提供一种新的多功能工具。

In light of stringent regulatory standards and high costs of reclamation operations, the oil and gas (O&G)industry is motivated to innovate and introduce technologies that optimize the use of boreal seeds. The BorealResearch Institute proposes to develop and prototype two integrated technologies (priming and pelleting ofnative seeds) to enable commercial-scale direct seeding of native boreal species in forest reclamationoperations. Seed priming is a method by which seeds are stimulated to imbibe water such that the metabolicprocesses of germination begin. Seed pelleting is a technique by which seeds are encased in a coating. Foragronomic crops, where this practice is widely applied, the results are faster production and higher yields.Unlike many agricultural plant species, the majority of boreal native plant seeds are very small and manyundergo dormancy after maturation. Seed dormancy is often overcome by stratification and/or scarificationpretreatments. Although stratified seeds cannot be pelleted because they will lose viability quickly, seedpriming in combination with pelleting may be an alternative for native boreal seeds as priming will awaken theseed but hold it in a 'pre-germinated' state until re-moistened.To date, no known research has focused on coupling priming of native seed and pelleting. The objective of thisstudy is to assess germination and emergence of boreal native species in response to a combination of seedpriming and pelleting treatments. The project combines laboratory and greenhouse studies to develop primingand pelleting methods and techniques specific to each of the priority native boreal species.The combination of priming and pelleting has potential to 1) deploy seeds of uniform germination andemergence and 2) achieve faster, more complete vegetative cover which, in turn, provides early erosion controland the creation of micro-sites. Priming and pelleting, when prototyped and tested for use in forest reclamation,will result in a new, versatile tool for industry and SMEs.