Guwahati: A Japanese technique of turning seeds into tiny, protective “seed balls” is taking root in Assam, where conservation organisation Aaranyak is using the nature-based approach to help restore degraded forests and rebuild habitat for Asian elephants.
More than 15,000 seed balls containing native tree species have been prepared and dispersed across degraded forest patches in Khalingduar Reserve Forest in Udalguri district as part of an integrated habitat restoration pilot.
The science-based, community-driven programme is being implemented by Aaranyak with support from the International Elephant Foundation (IEF) at a two-hectare demonstration site at Samrang under the Dhansiri Forest Division.
The initiative combines removal of invasive alien plants with the introduction of native species through seed balls, with the aim of encouraging natural forest regeneration and restoring the ecological integrity of degraded elephant habitats.
The project was launched on World Environment Day 2026, bringing together conservationists, students and local communities in an effort to regenerate native vegetation.
A technique from Japan
The seed-ball method was popularised by Japanese natural farming pioneer Masanobu Fukuoka, whose approach emphasised allowing nature to drive the regeneration process with minimal soil disturbance.
The technique involves coating seeds with a mixture of clay, soil and organic matter. The protective covering helps prevent seeds from drying out, being eaten by birds and insects, or being washed or blown away before they germinate.
Once dispersed, the seed balls can remain dormant until rainfall and other environmental conditions become favourable.
This makes the technique particularly useful for restoring large, degraded or difficult-to-access landscapes, where planting nursery-raised saplings individually can be labour-intensive and expensive.
Unlike conventional plantation, which often involves preparing soil and planting established seedlings, seed balls allow germination to occur more naturally while requiring relatively little soil preparation.
Seeds chosen for elephants and the forest
Aaranyak has used seeds of native species including Jamun (Syzygium cumini), Velkor (Trewa nudiflora), Odal (Sterculia villosa), Bel (Aegle marmelos), Gamari (Gmelina arborea), Khair (Acacia catechu), Simalu (Bombax ceiba) and Kum (Careya arborea var. assamica).
The species have been selected for their different ecological roles.
Fruit-bearing and forage species such as Jamun, Bel, Kum and Khair can provide food resources for elephants and other wildlife. Other native trees, including Gamari and Simalu, can help rebuild forest canopy, add organic matter to the soil, support carbon sequestration and gradually restore the structural complexity of degraded forests.
The seed balls have been strategically dispersed in restoration areas, including plots where invasive alien plants have been removed.
Restoring forests, not just planting trees
Aaranyak said the seed-ball intervention is designed to complement natural regeneration and conventional plantation rather than replace them.
Removing invasive plants creates space for native vegetation, while introducing a wider range of native seeds increases the availability of propagules that can regenerate under suitable natural conditions.
The larger objective is therefore not simply to plant more trees, but to rebuild a functioning forest ecosystem capable of supporting elephants and other wildlife.
The initiative has involved the Aaranyak team, students, local community members and the Jailkhlong community nursery.
The project team includes Rabiya Daimari, Abhijit Saikia, Abhilasha Baruah, Bistirna Burhagohain, Dibakar Nayak, Bikash Tossa, Manav Nayak and Pradip Barman.
For a landscape under pressure from habitat degradation and invasive vegetation, the experiment offers a simple idea with a distinctly Japanese origin: put native seeds back into the forest, give nature a chance, and let the forest rebuild itself.
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