Are we a step closer to aerial tree planting?

Forestry practices have been transformed with the rapid advancement of technology, and drone planting has emerged as one of the most innovative methods for forest reforestation. Earlier drones focused on aerial seed dispersing, which is mostly applied by agricultural industries and large-scale land restoration projects. Through technology advancements, new drones have been developed with the ability to fire biodegradable seed pods directly into the soil. This method showed potential for forest regeneration in areas where mechanical and manual planting were impractical. These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly being developed and deployed to automate and optimise tree planting. Challenges concerning worker safety, environmental conditions, terrain difficulties, etc., are addressed with drone planting, making it a valuable complement to traditional planting methods.

Drone planting is a multi-stage process that puts together mapping, seedling carrying and automated planting. The process starts with mapping of the compartment area where planting will take place by the drone equipped with either LiDAR or multispectral cameras. This step is essential when it comes to drone planting to avoid unsuitable ground conditions, such as rocky and waterlogged areas. Drones used for planting seedlings could be equipped with cartridge systems used to carry seedlings to be planted in the field. The drones then fly along routes that are pre-programmed. Upon landing, the drone can prepare a planting position (e.g. pitting or scarification), plant the seedling into the ground, firm the soil and then proceed to the next location.

Source: NIBIO Forest Operations and Digitalisation  

• Precise planting using the GPS, which gives better control over where the trees are planted

• Possibility of planting more trees at a much faster rate than manual planting per day

• Reduces the need for large crews and heavy machinery, lowering operational costs.

• Reaches difficult terrains such as steep slope terrain

• Causes less soil disturbance compared to mechanised ground equipment

• Planting at night

• Dropped seeds often have lower establishment rates than hand-planted seedlings.

• Drones can only carry a limited number of seedlings per trip.

• Short flight times restrict planting coverage per operation, which may be overcome by one site recharge stations and additional replacement batteries.

• Advanced drones are relatively costly compared to manual planting

• Inability to irrigate and fertilise at planting 

• Airspace rules and UAV regulations vary, limiting widespread use.

• Uncertainty relating to planting quality, survival and uniformity of aerially planted trees

The future is a mystery to all of us; however, drone planting represents a promising frontier in modern forestry, offering speed, efficiency, and accessibility that traditional planting methods struggle to match. While current limitations, such as seedling survival and drone payload capacity, prevent it from being a complete substitute for manual planting, it is increasingly proving to be a valuable complementary tool. As technology advances, drone planting combined with artificial intelligence is likely to play a crucial role in reforestation and ecosystem restoration, particularly in areas that are otherwise difficult to reach. The 5th Industrial Revolution (5IR), also known as the Cognitive Age, is characterised by the synergistic collaboration between human and machine intelligence to achieve human and ecological flourishing. Perhaps this technology could be an example of such a relationship.