In the process of implementation of the U3 project of Caritas India, we have been promoting seed balls to throw it in the barren/wastelands as it can become a tree later. It is an effective way of establishing plants without the need for ploughing or drilling, at very little cost. Seed balls or seed bombs are seeds that have been wrapped in soil matter and then dried. The soil matter is often a mixture of clay and compost. The seed is, therefore, pre-planted and can be sown by depositing the seed ball anywhere as long as the species can survive there. The wrapping mixture keeps the seed safe until it can properly germinate. In U3 project area in Adilabad, thousands of such seed balls are made by mixing clay, compost and seeds. They have to be processed and the clay and compost have to be relatively fine-textured, and the seeds are winnowed, removing casings and hulls. Seed balls have been employed to establish perennial pastures on marginal degraded highlands where the use of seed drills and rippers is impossible because of steep slopes, existing woodlands, shallow soils/exposed bedrock, and general rockiness of the area. We believe that these seedballs thrown in the wasteland become areas of many trees. Restoration of the Earth’s forests and increasing the tree cover is the world’s most effective solution to climate change available today and has the potential to capture two-thirds of man-made carbon emissions. Restoration are often sourced from natural populations. providing seed that is reflective of the genetic diversity of a species, wild harvesting could be one solution to meet the demands for large-scale restoration, but also for the native birds, mammals and insects that feed on it. To improve seed production and decrease seed costs, seed collection systems have been established through the U3 Project. adaptability to underpin the success of ecological restoration programs.

We believe that the solution is in our hands to save our planet. We must act ourselves. Therefore with a mission to empower the masses to plant trees through Seed balls.. We have pioneered a process for producing seed balls at large scale which create the conditions for diverse habitat to flourish in the Non -tree cover areas such as marginal degraded soils

Uses of Seed Balls

1. Reforesting an area
2. Planting wildflowers for Pollinating Insects d bees
3. Preserving the Seeds/ Germplasm
4. Enriching the landscape and degraded lands
5. Increasing the Biodiversity
6. Soil conditioning
7. Easy to propagate by simple technique throw and grow
8. Fun to the children and people

The SHGs at Manikyapur, Kollamguda, Akunur, Ginnedhari and Tiryani villages in Adilabad District are engaged in making and throwing these seed balls in their degraded forest lands, Community lands Roadside shelter belt areas etc with the Fruit-bearing, Medicinal properties and Shade provider plants such as Pongamia pinneta (Karanj), Cassia Fistuala (golden shower), Azadirachta indica (Neem), Syzygium cumini (Zamun) and Bombax ceiba (Silk Cotton), Artocarpus ( Jack fruit) Terminalia Arjuna (Arjun) Terminalia elliptica (Crocodile bark) trees which are available in Forest areas. The DSSS staff of the U3 Project motivated and trained the SHG groups on collecting techniques of the Seeds from wilder areas, and making the seed ball are been trained. They have started collecting the seeds /Pods during its season and started the making of the seed balls by the groups and preserving them to broadcast in the required time. This work has been doing by collectively by children, men and women. Children are fond of collecting the seeds and making seed balls with joy and fun.

The Seed ball throw and grow program has been inaugurated on 5th June 2022 by the village Sarpanchs and Mandal Parishad Persons under CI campaign” Each one Pant one “ in the above-said villages. The Heads of the village appreciated the program and assured cooperate the program. The SHGs and the VDCs have planned some future activities under the community development program in the U3 Project villages as below

Future programs planned 

1. Community kitchen garden

2. Community forestry

3. Community Nursery

4. Community Seed bank