Comparative study of the capacity of germination and of adhesion of various hydrocolloids used for revegetalization by hydroseeding

In order to optimize the revegetalization of damaged natural sites, it is sometimes necessary to employ hydroseeding techniques which use colloidal compounds in order to favour the creation of a vegetative cover. To facilitate the choice of the colloids to be used, we have tested the capacity of adhesion and germination of herbaceous seeds mixed with colloidal compounds belonging to diverse chemical families in both the laboratory and outdoor conditions. Three commonly used species of herbaceous seeds usually found in the revegetalization mixture were used for the tests. Most of the compounds tested showed positive action. With the laboratory experiments, the alginates were most effective in improving germination and adhesion. With the outdoor experiments, the cellulosis compounds proved to be the most effective for seeds adhesion, germination and to prevent erosion. An empirical mathematical relationship was proposed between the viscosity of the solution and the capacity of adhesion. The suggested tests are simple and may help in the choice of the most suitable colloids for the revegetalization process. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.