Patent ID: 7614181

Claim:
A seed tape comprising: successively arranged germinating units including at least one carrier strip and at least one auxiliary layer of biodegradable, flexible, non-woven or film-like material arranged on said carrier strip, whereby said auxiliary layer is locally interrupted a short distance along the seed tape, and whereby each germinating unit includes a mixture of granulated carrier, at least one granulated additive and an adjuvant in addition to one or more seeds, said mixture plus the seed(s) being kept together to form at least one core portion including an incision, in the germinating unit, and whereby said seed tape can be cut into separate germinating units prior to irrigation and/or bedding out, the core portion made of said mixture including locally adhered fibers of one or more thermoplastic materials which form a coherent, open network for keeping the granules of the mixture together, wherein the fibers of one or more thermoplastic materials which form the network are bicomponent fibers, and seed or seeds is/are placed in the incision in the core portion, said incision being of a depth of 25 to 50% of a thickness of said core portion, and wherein an outer component of each bicomponent fiber is made of polyactide (derived from lactic acid) (PLA) having a relatively low melting point, whereas an inner component of said fiber is made of polyactide (derived from lactic acid) (PLA) having a relatively high melting point.