Performance of Innovative Native Seed Harvester

Every year natural and man-caused disturbances (wildfire, construction of highways and facilities, mining, noxious weeds infestation, and overgrazing) damage and destroy millions of hectares of native vegetation. These vast disturbances require restoration and federal entities emphasize the use of native plant materials. Without restorative intervention, land recovery may take decades, leaving ecosystems vulnerable to erosion, invasive plant and insect species, and diseases, and loss of productivity. Long term treatment plans call for reseeding native species, but seeds are unavailable in the required quantities. Restoration is constrained by limited supply and high cost of the seed of many difficult to harvest native grass species. Arbuckle Ranch Inc. proposes to test the commercial feasibility of a machine incorporating Arbuckle's patented technology. Technical feasibility was proven in Phase I by creating machine design features that: 1) improve the percent of seed recovery from desirable yet difficult to harvest native plant species, and 2) harvest seed from species that cannot be satisfactorily harvested by other means.