A seed ball is a seed that has been wrapped in soil materials, usually a mixture of clay and compost, and then dried. Essentially, the seed is 'pre-planted' and can be sown by depositing the seed ball anywhere suitable for the species, keeping the seeds safely until the proper germination window arises.

The technique for creating seed balls was rediscovered by Japanese natural farming pioneer Masanobu Fukuoka. During the period of the Second World War, Japanese government plant scientist working in a government lab, Fukuoka, who lived on the mountains island of Shikoku, wanted to find a technique that would increase food production without taking away from the land already .