Protective Seedling Nursery Inspired by Animal Feces

Innovation: Industry

Land Life Company

2014

Image: Mark Basarab / Unsplash / CC BY SA - Creative Commons Attribution + ShareAlike

Protect From Temperature

Many living systems function best within specific temperature ranges. Temperatures higher or lower than that range can negatively impact a living system’s physiological or chemical processes, and damage its exterior or interior. Living systems must manage high or low temperatures using minimal energy, which often requires controlling responses along incremental temperature changes. To do so, living systems use a variety of strategies, such as avoiding high or low temperatures, removing excess heat, and holding heat in. Insulation is a well-known example of managing low temperatures by retaining heat using thick layers of hair, fur, or feathers to hold warm air next to the skin.

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Protect From Light

Access to sunlight is crucial to living systems because it’s the primary energy source for life. However, too much sunlight in the form of ultraviolet radiation (UV) can cause damage to living tissues. Therefore, living systems have strategies to filter out some or all UV radiation. For example, some plants that live in areas exposed to long periods of direct sunlight have reflective surfaces (such as white hairs or powder) that reflect UV light.

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Protect From Wind

Wind subjects living systems to various forces, such as compression, twisting, turbulence, and tension. These forces put living systems at risk of losing the ability to perform life-essential functions, such as when a plant becomes uprooted. Wind can result from weather phenomena or rapid movement through the air, as when flying. Wind is typically not a constant or predictable force, so living systems must be able to function both with and without its presence by adjusting to its direction and speed. A good example is how plants’ leaves and stems are flexible so that they can align with the wind, rather than being battered by it.

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Protect From Animals

Animals–organisms that range from microscopic to larger than a bus–embody a wide variety of harms to living systems, including other animals. They threaten through predation, herbivory, defense, and parasitism, and they compete for resources such as water, nutrients, and space. Any given living organism commonly faces threats from a variety of animals, requiring strategies that effectively defend from each. Trout and other bony fish, for example, escape predators by having scales made of very thin, flake-like pieces of bone covered with slippery mucus. They also have behavioral strategies such as camouflage, fast swimming, and twisting and turning to achieve release from a predator’s grip.

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Capture, Absorb, or Filter Liquids

The most common liquid used by living systems is water, which they require to survive. But there are many other liquids that provide nourishment, play a role in defense mechanisms, or serve other purposes. Water varies in its availability; it is sometimes plentiful and sometimes very scarce or only available as fog or mist. To minimize the energy required to capture, absorb, or filter liquids, living systems have strategies that take advantage of the unique properties of the given liquid. For example, water moves from a gaseous to liquid state when it encounters a surface colder than the air. Plants in forests that experience fog and clouds more than rain have strategies that condense liquid water from moist air.

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Patents

The Cocoon from Land Life Company creates a nourishing, protective environment that helps seedlings grow in dry, arid conditions.

Benefits

Low cost
Sustainable
Organic
Regenerative

Applications

Agriculture
Urban farming

UN Sustainable Development Goals Addressed

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities
Goal 12: Responsible Production & Consumption
Goal 13: Climate Action

The Challenge

Many dry, arid areas of the world face water scarcity, and populations are unable to grow ample food to support themselves. Additionally, the world is facing increased food demand. Commonly used drip irrigation systems contribute to the success of growing crops, but these systems consume a great amount of water and often use pesticides.

Innovation Details

Inspired by the way animal feces provide a safe environment for new seedlings to grow, the Cocoon protects newly planted seedlings from damage by predators or environmental stressors. The Cocoon is a circular container made from recycled material. The container has holes in the top and bottom for new seedlings, which creates a shelter to help it survive through the initial part of their growing cycle. The container is designed to protect the seedling from excessive sun and wind, and help it collect water. It is filled with water just once, and thereafter captures additional water through the collection of rainwater and condensation. The water stored in the container also helps to buffer the effects of thermal variation, protecting the plant from temperature extremes.

The Cocoon is circular container made from recycled material with holes in the top and bottom for new seedlings. Photo: Land Life Company.

Workers in Peru planting new seedlings in a Cocoon. Photo: Land Life Company.

Biological Model

Animals ingest plants and then excrete the seeds on top of the soil. The surrounding feces function as natural protection while the seed develops roots and taps into water resources necessary for further development.

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