FPInnovations’ members in the northern B.C. coastal region have expressed interest in looking for cost-effective ways to regenerate remote-access sites within their licenses. Many of the coastal sites in this area have difficult planting conditions due to remote mountainous terrain and helicopter-only or boat-only access. The logistical challenges associated with planting containerized stock (seedling ordering and delivery logistics, stock thawing and handling requirements, time constraints, etc.), coupled with the difficulty of access, make reforestation in these remote sites a cumbersome and costly operation.
Manual seeding with “seed pucks” or “seed wafers” (seeds embedded in a compact growing medium) has been suggested as an alternative method of reforestation in remote areas. If successful, this method could simplify logistics and greatly reduce reforestation costs. Past studies have tested the use of seed pucks in forestry with promising results (Adams et al., 1990; Wennström, 2014). However, the potential of using this alternative method has not yet been explored in B.C. FPInnovations is exploring the concept with a series of laboratory and field trials, the first of which is described in this report.