Rehabilitation of post-mined sites depends on the effective and efficient use of native seed. For most mine sites where seed is available, failure to recruit native species seed is due to a number of quality factors that lead to poor or no seedling establishment.

For up to 70% of the native species so far studied in mine-site revegetation, seed quality has been shown to be a major limiting factor to seedling production. Many seed lots used for revegetating mine sites after mining activity have either been collected at the wrong time, come from plants of poor quality (resulting in low seed viability or vigour), had deep dormancy or had been stored under inappropriate conditions or stored for too long. Without a complete protocol of how and when to harvest, how to handle and store seed and how to pre-treat and sow seed, establishment of many native species will remain poor or non-existent, and costly.

The objectives of this project are to determine :

• a protocol for collection and handling of native seed;
  
• a means for assessing seed quality and viability;
  
• a means for effective storage of native seed;
• the mechanisms by which deep dormancy occurs in native species; and
  
• practical and efficient methods for breaking dormancy in seed collections.
  

• Develop species-specific protocols for collection, handling, storing and alleviating dormancy in their nominated species.

Methodology

Details of the methodology are provided in the Project Proposal.

Research is being conducted Assoc Prof Steve Adkins, the University of Queensland and Dr Kingsley Dixon, Kings Park Botanic Gardens.

3 years (2004 - 2007)

• BHP Billiton Cannington Mine
• BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance
• Rio Tinto Coal Australia
• Zinifex Century Mine
• Worsley Alumina
• Kew Gardens, UK

On completion

info@acmer.uq.edu.au