Rainstick is a new cutting-edge ag-tech company. From there, they’re now commercially trialling a seed treatment for canola crops in regional Victoria and in collaboration with Riverine Plains, an agronomy-based farming systems group with more than 450 members. This integrated methodology combines ancient ecological wisdom of the Maiawali people of central west Queensland with up-to-date scientific practices. Combined, they’re working to increase crop productivity and address some of the most pressing challenges facing agriculture today.
The Maiawali people of northwestern Australia believed they could use a chuggera, or lightning stick, to alter the occurrence of thunderstorms. Rainstick has since developed this age-old practice into its technology. Rainstick representative Mic Black wanted to make it clear that their method doesn’t use chemical or genetic modification. Rather, it’s about using the power of nature to encourage rapid plant growth.
Trials in the Field
Rainstick has started with small-scale indoor crop trials before scaling up to broadacre crops such as canola. These preliminary trials have proven successful, resulting in the development of new leaf mass after application. Black stated, “One of the things we observed so far is that there’s really an increase in leaf mass after the treatment.”
This new technology directly addresses the major issue of poor crop establishment rates. Australian National Farmers Federation president Pip Grant has identified this problem as the major bugbear for Australian farmers. Grant noted, “It has actually been quite wild to see the difference in some of the treated … canola plants versus the control.” This suggests that the Rainstick treatment may provide a practical solution to help improve crop establishment and yield potential.
In these subsequent iterations, Rainstick hopes to undertake in-field trials alongside both farmers and scientists to continue field testing. Joost Nelis of the University of Southern Denmark is helping with the scientific research to determine how bioelectrical treatments influence plant growth. Nelis’ expertise is going to be key to researching how well this technology works on larger agricultural scales.
Bridging Tradition and Technology
Rainstick’s methodology brings together a few simple concepts to inform how it develops its treatments. Black elaborated on this, saying, “We work with a couple of basic elements to our formula,” which includes specific frequencies and waveforms. He added, “You can’t apply brute force to something like this,” emphasizing the need for a nuanced approach when integrating this technology into agriculture.
Darryl Lyons, who is excited about using Rainstick’s technology in reforestation projects, sees the potential. “Chief rainmaker sounds like a really cool title,” he remarked, highlighting the blend of cultural significance and scientific innovation inherent in their work. He stressed the importance of scaling this technology globally, stating, “It’s about figuring out how we can scale this technology globally to make a difference in agriculture.”
The Future of Agriculture
Our continuing partnership with Riverine Plains is important for understanding the economic feasibility of adopting this technology on-farm. The broad partnership has focused on addressing end-user concerns and finding price points that would enable farmers to get return on their investment. Grant raised an important question as they move forward: “How do we actually translate this technology from mushrooms, bok choy, our indoor sort of crops, to what that looks like once we bring it out into broadacre crops?”
Lyons additionally spoke to the cultural legacy behind this movement. He noted a personal connection to the Maiawali people, sharing, “Unfortunately, my great-grandmother was the only survivor from the Maiawali people.” This crucial relationship between cultural heritage and conservation highlights the importance of honoring Indigenous knowledge in conjunction with using contemporary scientific innovations.
