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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Getting the jump on Mother nature: the advancing technology of applied botany will speed reclamation of mined land

Journal Article · · Eng. Min. J.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6504179
By propagating native or indigenous plants in greenhouses on a speeded-up schedule, much guesswork is being taken out of revegetating mined land. Native Plants Inc., which tricks nature by reproducing the biological sequence of plants in a fraction of the natural time, offers reclaimers of disturbed land the plants they want in any quantity on very short notice. Prior to planting, seeds are treated to break their dormancy code. The plants are grown in tubepaks that promote root growth, grow both night and day, and have CO/sub 2/ injected into the air. The company reports a 97% success rate in transplanting its seedlings. Cloning and the unlocking of the germination secrets of plants have great potential for speeding the restoration of mined land. A micropropagation (or tissue culture), whereby parts of a whole plant are removed, sterilized, and grown on a specific nutrient medium are being considered. This technology affords a high degree of selectivity and rapid plant propagation and has far-reaching implications for mine operators faced with the challenges of reclaiming mined land. (DP)
OSTI ID:
6504179
Journal Information:
Eng. Min. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Eng. Min. J.; (United States); ISSN ENMJA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English