Imprints that fail to satisfy the general  specifications often result in thin and uneven  stands of vegetation. Poor design features and  their consequences include: (1) Imprints that are greater than 25 cm (10-  inches) long can lead to rill and gully formation.  (2) Imprints that are too widely spaced produce  thin stands and cannot store enough rainwater  to control water runoff and erosion.  (3) Imprints that are too shallow because of  insufficient imprinter ballast do not hold enough  water for seed germination and runoff and  erosion prevention. (4) Imprinting roller cores that are too small,  diameters less than 50 cm (20 inches), tend to  round the crests of imprints due to excessive  sliding and shearing actions. This rounding  results in excessive tillage, weed seed  germination, covering of existing plant litter, and  damage to existing vegetation.  Imprint size, shape, spacing, and pattern are  designed to maximize resource funneling and  the safe temporary storage of rainwater. On  level ground, each imprint can hold 3 to 5 liters  of water, which is equivalent to 5 to 9 surface  cm (2 to 3.5 inches). Imprints are V shaped  troughs, the sides of which funnel rainwater and  seed to the line at the trough bottom where  sufficient water concentration and infiltration  occur to effect seed germination and seedling  establishment. The bottom of the trough  typically forms a shrinkage crack on drying,  thereby eliminating the crusting emergence  problem often associated with fine textured  soils. After germination and emergence, the  sides of the trough humidify the microclimate  and shield young seedlings from excessive  sunlight and dry winds (Dixon, 1995).  The preceding functions of imprints result in  much better stands of seedlings, faster growth  rates, and higher survival-all relative to various  types of drill seeders including no till. The  relative benefits of imprinting increase as slope  steepness increases and annual precipitation  decreases. Web Design by Thumbs Up Production

Click on pictures/diagrams/tables to enlarge/read double click to reduce. The Seeder Specifications The Roller Blades (cont) Category II, 7-foot imprinting roller designed for revegetating steep slopes.  Seeder Box Imprints hold rain water in place How the Imprinting Machine Works (cont) THE MECHANICS OF the IMPRINTING MACHINE (cont)