The science that is sparking a farming revolution | Landline | ABC Australia
What this covers
Landline follows Mike Black and Daryl Lions, founders of Rainstick, a biotech start-up that applies specially tuned electric fields—mimicking the frequencies present during thunderstorms—to seeds before they reach farmers. The treatment aims to activate different metabolic pathways and increase root and shoot biomass without genetic modification or chemical input. The segment centers on whether this approach can solve a concrete economic problem: poor crop establishment costs Australian growers over $100 million annually on canola alone, with farmers losing hundreds of dollars per hectare even after investing in premium seeds. Pip Grant from a farming group and university researcher Jordi Nus present field trial results showing treated canola plants with notably greater root biomass in the critical early weeks, alongside metabolomic analysis indicating altered carbon and nitrogen pathways in treated plants.
The piece moves between lab science and on-farm validation, exploring how bioelectrical signals influence gene expression at the cellular level without altering DNA. It examines the practical appeal of the technology—seeds are treated before delivery, so farmers need no changes to their existing processes—and touches on early observations, including anecdotal reports of improved pest resistance. The work extends beyond commodity crops: trials with native species like the Pilbara grevillea and Darwin stringybark suggest potential for ecological restoration and reforestation. Daryl Lions frames the venture as a convergence of traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern science, while questions about whether improved early growth translates to final yield and the scalability of the tuning process remain open.
Rainstick uses bioelectric seed treatment—applying precisely tuned electrical frequencies to seeds—to improve crop establishment and growth by influencing gene expression without altering DNA, with early field trials showing promise in broadacre agriculture and reforestation.
- Electric fields similar to lightning frequencies can alter plant metabolic pathways and increase root biomass and leaf mass without genetic modification
- Field trials with farmers show treated seeds produce stronger establishment rates and unexpected benefits like pest resistance, addressing a $100+ million annual loss in Australian canola alone
- The technology bridges traditional indigenous knowledge with modern bioelectricity science, offering scalable solutions for climate-resilient agriculture and reforestation
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Growers are losing money due to low crop establishment rates even after investing in high-end seeds, and CSIRO and the Grains Research and Development Corporation estimate over $100 million is lost to the Australian cropping industry on canola establishment rates alone, so improving those rates with seed treatments like Rainstick's offers a chance to boost productivity.
“Work from CSRO and the grains research and development corporation has estimated it's over hund00 million lost to the cropping industry in Australia just on their canola establishment rates alone by improving those rates with seed treatments like Rainstick's technology.”
Measuring changes in carbon and nitrogen isotopes between control and treated plants gives indications of which metabolic pathways are initiated by the treatment, and nitrogen/carbon tissue percentages reveal whether the plant has taken up more nitrogen, is growing faster, or is more energy efficient — beneficial outcomes for farmers.
“by measuring those changes in isotopes and comparing them between the control and treated, I can uh have some indications of what kind of metabolic pathways are uh initiated with the treatment. And of course also just looking at nitrogen and carbon percentages in the tissue tells you if it has taken up more nitrogen or not. If it's growing faster, if it's more energy efficient,”
Poor establishment presents two key challenges to Australian farmers: wasted money (hundreds of dollars per hectare) and reduced yield, lowering overall productivity per hectare.
“So hundreds of dollars a hectare could be wasted in poor establishment rates which then impacts in yield. So the whole productivity per hectare is going to be a lot lower.”
By measuring isotope changes between control and treated plants, researchers can determine which metabolic pathways are initiated by the treatment, and by measuring nitrogen and carbon percentages in tissue, they can determine if the plant has taken up more nitrogen, is growing faster, and is more energy efficient.
“So by measuring those changes in isotopes and comparing them between the control and treated, I can uh have some indications of what kind of metabolic pathways are uh initiated with the treatment. And of course also just looking at nitrogen and carbon percentages in the tissue tells you if it has taken up more nitrogen or not. If it's growing faster, if it's more energy efficient.”
Dr. Yordi Nus and his team are studying the metabolic changes in treated plants by analyzing small molecules and lipids, plotting them into metabolomic networks to identify changes in metabolic mechanisms.
“So, what I've seen so far, what we try to do here is to look at a bunch of different molecules. So we try to look at all the small molecules in there and also all the lipids and then um we plot them to metabolomic networks to try and have an idea if there's any changes in the metabolic mechanisms of the plant.”
Poor establishment is causing Australian farmers two major problems: hundreds of dollars per hectare of wasted money in seed/preparation costs, and a resulting lower productivity per hectare due to failed plants, compounding the total farm impact.
“The key challenges that poor establishment is presenting to Australian farmers at the moment is one wasted money. So hundreds of dollars a hectare could be wasted in poor establishment rates which then impacts in yield. So the whole productivity per hectare is going to be a lot lower.”
Thunderstorms create electric fields in the air with specific frequencies, and at a cell level, all living biology is electrical signal—these frequencies can change certain reactions and effects in organisms.
“when you do have thunderstorms come over it creates electric fields in the air and in those fields you have frequencies and at a cell level including us and everything that's living biology is electrical signal and those frequencies can change certain reactions and effect.”
Work from CSIRO and the grains research and development corporation has estimated that poor crop establishment rates in Australian canola alone cost the cropping industry over $100 million annually.
“Work from CSRO and the grains research and development corporation has estimated it's over hund00 million lost to the cropping industry in Australia just on their canola establishment rates alone”
The seed treatment is not genetic modification and not chemical; it uses bioelectrical signals to influence how genes express themselves without altering the DNA, aiming to give seedlings a stronger start that could last their entire growth cycle.
“Mike says it's not genetic modification and it's not chemical. This new seed treatment uses bioelect electrical signals to influence how genes express themselves without altering the DNA.”
Daryl Lions is passionate about how traditional indigenous knowledge can have huge global effects by creating new science to help humanity transition to sustainable systems.
“I've kind of been lucky over the last 15 years to go back out in country and connect to that heritage and very passionate about how I think traditional knowledge can have a huge effect globally by bringing that knowledge to create new bits of science to help us transition”
Rainstick applies an electric field similar to what happens during a thunderstorm to seeds, which is a specially tuned electric field, and then those seeds get shipped out to the producer for them to grow without requiring any change to on-farm processes because the seeds have already been altered.
“We take seeds and we apply an electric field similar to what happens during a thunderstorm. And that's a specially tuned electric field that happens to the seeds and then those seeds get shipped out to the producer for them to grow. So it's a very frictionless experience for the producer because they don't have to change any onfarmm processes because we've altered the seeds here.”
Thunderstorms create electric fields in the air containing frequencies, and because biology at the cell level (including humans) operates on electrical signals, those frequencies can change certain reactions and effects in living organisms.
“when you do have thunderstorms come over it creates electric fields in the air and in those fields you have frequencies and at a cell level including us and everything that's living biology is electrical signal and those frequencies can change certain reactions and effect”
Rainstick's seed treatment is not genetic modification and not chemical; it uses bioelectric electrical signals to influence how genes express themselves without altering the DNA.
“Mike says it's not genetic modification and it's not chemical. This new seed treatment uses bioelect electrical signals to influence how genes express themselves without altering the DNA.”
The value of early-stage partnerships between farmers and biotech companies is that they can collaborate to determine what the technology needs to achieve for the farm business to receive return on investment, motivating investment in the technology.
“But that's um the beauty of working with these companies really early is that we can work out okay well what does that actually need to look like for a farm business to actually receive the return on investment for them to invest in the technology in the first place and that's definitely what we're looking to achieve.”
Rainstick believes their electrical seed treatment technology can be applied beyond agriculture to help with reforestation projects, both for reforesting mines and globally to help with climate variation.
“It's hugely important. I think it's a massive opportunity for Australia. We've got to reforest mines. We've got to reforest areas globally to help with climate variation. And I think what I'm also passionate about is how do we assist farmers in getting some native belts in their properties to help them transition to more sustainable production.”
Rainstick's technology is based on combining traditional indigenous knowledge with modern science to optimize plant and fungal growth.
“They're using a unique blend of traditional indigenous knowledge and modern science to optimize plant and fungy growth.”
Metabolomic analysis of treated tomato plants reveals significant differences from controls, with different metabolic pathways activated, an increase in leaf mass after treatment, and measurable differences in stable carbon and hydrogen isotopes, indicating altered metabolic mechanisms.
“we plot them to metabolomic networks to try and have an idea if there's any changes in the metabolic mechanisms of the plant. And basically what we found is that there seems to be really quite some differences. Different metabolic pathways are activated.”
Treated canola plants show visually wild differences from control plants, with notably greater root biomass and more vigorous tap root growth in the early 2-to-4-week establishment period, though it remains to be confirmed whether this translates to yield after harvest and statistical analysis.
“it has actually been quite wild to see the difference in some of the treated canola plants versus the control canola plants and actually just visually comparing them. But of course we want to see what that actually means in terms of coming through to yield.”
Rainstick takes seeds and applies a specially tuned electric field similar to what happens during a thunderstorm, after which the treated seeds are shipped to producers to grow, creating a frictionless experience because farmers don't need to change any on-farm processes since the seeds were altered beforehand.
“We take seeds and we apply an electric field similar to what happens during a thunderstorm. And that's a specially tuned electric field that happens to the seeds and then those seeds get shipped out to the producer for them to grow.”
In a leafy greens trial, farmers noticed that caterpillars did not eat the treated plants compared to the untreated control, and the farmers were not told in advance which plants were treated, suggesting the pest resistance effect is real and not a farmer expectation bias.
“And one thing you absolutely can't ignore is the anecdotal feedback from the farmers themselves. And it can be something that you don't expect. For example, we had a leafy greens farmer say, 'We noticed that the caterpillars didn't eat this particular one.' And we're like, 'Well, that's really curious because we didn't tell them which one was treated and which one was control.' And and we were pretty happy to know that it was the treated one.”
Rainstick's approach to mapping the effects of frequencies involves working with three basic elements—frequency, waveform, and duration of treatment—with potentially 50,000 different possible frequencies, so brute-force testing is impossible; instead they get early indications and work methodically through each step to achieve desired effects without unwanted side effects.
“We work with a couple of basic elements to our formula. We have our frequency, our waveform, and the duration of that treatment. And there could be 50,000 different frequencies, any way you can draw a squiggly line, and any duration. So, you can't brute force something like this. For for us, it's a matter of getting the early indications and taking it methodically through each of the steps so that we have the desired effect we want without the effect we don't want.”
A leafy greens farmer reported that caterpillars did not eat one particular crop, which turned out to be the treated sample even though the farmer was not told which was treated and which was control.
“we had a leafy greens farmer say, "We noticed that the caterpillars didn't eat this particular one." And we're like, "Well, that's really curious because we didn't tell them which one was treated and which one was control." And and we were pretty happy to know that it was the treated one.”
The treatment formula consists of three basic elements — frequency, waveform, and treatment duration — and with potentially 50,000 different frequencies and any waveform shape or duration, the solution space cannot be brute-forced, requiring methodical step-by-step testing to achieve the desired effect without unwanted effects.
“We have our frequency, our waveform, and the duration of that treatment. And there could be 50,000 different frequencies, any way you can draw a squiggly line, and any duration. So, you can't brute force something like this.”
In field trials, the treated canola plants showed visibly larger tap roots in the 2 to 4 week establishment period compared to untreated control plants, and the treated plants showed more vigor in root growth.
“And you can see that there's a lot of difference in the root biomass on each of the plants... Are the tap roots looking like they're bigger in the earlier stages of that 2 to 4 week establishment period. Was there a lot more vigor in the root growth? And so it has actually been quite wild to see the difference in some of the treated canola plants versus the control canola plants and actually just visually comparing them.”
In metabolomic analysis of treated plants, there is an increase in leaf mass after the treatment compared to control plants.
“one of the things we've observed so far is that there is really an increase in leaf mass after the treatment.”
Stable isotope analysis of treated plants shows differences in the amount of carbon and hydrogen present compared to control plants.
“We also look at the stable isotopes and and the amount of carbon and hydrogen present in the plants and we found differences there as well.”
Rainstick is conducting reforestation trials with native Australian species, specifically gravil (Pilra region, poor establishment iconic species with relevance to traditional owners) and Darwin stringy bark (northern Australia species with relevance across the Kimberley and northern Australia, both with significant establishment challenges).
“So here we've got a gravil so which is in the Pilra very poor establishment iconic species that they want there. It's got a lot of relevance to the traditional owners. and up here similar this is for probably up in northern Australia and the Darwin stringy barb again got a lot of relevance for a lot of the to across the KP or and also across all of northern Australia and they both have a big establishment issue”
Daryl Lions has spent the last 15 years reconnecting with his ancestral Marowelli heritage and country after his great-grandmother was likely the only survivor of his people, whose traditional territory was approximately 70 million hectares.
“Unfortunately, my great-grandmother was probably the only survivor from the Marowelli people um were our area was massive and probably about 70 million hectares. So, yeah, we didn't have that handed down tradition, but I've kind of been lucky over the last 15 years to go back out in country and connect to that heritage”
The goal of Rainstick's treatment is to give seedlings a stronger start that could last their entire growth cycle.
“Their goal is to give seedlings a stronger start that could last their entire growth cycle.”
Working with companies at a very early stage allows the farming group to co-determine what the technology needs to look like for a farm business to actually receive a return on investment that justifies investing in it in the first place.
“the beauty of working with these companies really early is that we can work out okay well what does that actually need to look like for a farm business to actually receive the return on investment for them to invest in the technology in the first place”
Rainstick is collaborating with scientists from the University of Queensland and James Cook University to study the molecular and metabolic effects of the seed treatment on plants.
“They've also teamed up with scientists from the University of Queensland and James Cook University in Canes. Dr. use. Yordi Nus is a researcher at JCU. Among other things, he develops new technologies that can detect food and environmental contaminants to create a more sustainable future. He's been working with Rainstick on these tomato plants.”
Pip and her team at Riverine Plains co-designed the trial protocol with Rainstick's bioelectric team engineers and company founders to test the seed treatment on broadacre crops, setting up 48 plots to monitor different growth stages through to harvest.
“Pip and her team co-designed the trial protocol with Rainstick's bioelect electrical team engineers and company founders. Rainstick treated the seeds in cans which were sent to riverine plains and 48 plots were sewn to look at different stages of growth right through the yield.”
Rainstick's intellectual property is kept highly secret, and the team is fiercely protective of their proprietary methods, to the point of not allowing journalists to document the treatment process.
“The thing with cutting edge technology like this is it's all very top secret and the team are fiercely protective of their intellectual property. So they won't let us show you what happens behind the big black door with a lightning bolt on it.”
Riverine Plains and Rainstick are still in early-stage collaboration and need to work out how effective the technology is overall, where it is most effective geographically, and what the price points should be before making investment recommendations to farmers.
“We're really early stage at the moment um with working with the Rainstick team. So, we still need to work out how effective it is, where it's most effective, and then we'll be working out, okay, what's the price points on there.”
Mike Black holds the title of 'chief thunderstorm creator' at Rainstick and developed the seed treatment technology starting about three years ago in his home garage by thinking about the link between external electric fields like lightning and their intersection with biology.
“Mike Black, the chief thunderstorm creator, was thinking about the link between external electric fields like lightning and what could potentially happen when it intersects with biology.”
Iconic native species such as the Pilbara grevillea and the Darwin stringybark, which have strong relevance to traditional owners across northern Australia, both have significant establishment issues, and early results show the treatment is starting to improve their establishment though more work remains.
“this is for probably up in northern Australia and the Darwin stringy barb again got a lot of relevance for a lot of the to across the KP or and also across all of northern Australia and they both have a big establishment issue so some of the early results showing we're moving the dial yeah we've got more work to do”
Traditional indigenous knowledge can have a huge global effect by being brought together with new science to help agriculture transition, a mission that is personal for Daryl Lions whose Marowelli ancestral country covered roughly 70 million hectares and whose great-grandmother was likely the only survivor of his people.
“very passionate about how I think traditional knowledge can have a huge effect globally by bringing that knowledge to create new bits of science to help us transition”
The bioelectrical technology represents a major opportunity for Australia to reforest mines and degraded areas to help with climate variation, and to assist farmers in establishing native vegetation belts on their properties to transition to more sustainable production.
“We've got to reforest mines. We've got to reforest areas globally to help with climate variation. And I think what I'm also passionate about is how do we assist farmers in getting some native belts in their properties to help them transition to more sustainable production.”
Early reforestation results with Rainstick's treatment show progress in improving establishment rates of native species, and more work is still needed to fully validate the approach.
“some of the early results showing we're moving the dial yeah we've got more work to do”
The documentary team was not allowed to visually document or film what occurs inside Rainstick's treatment facility, described as 'the big black door with a lightning bolt on it'.
“So they won't let us show you what happens behind the big black door with a lightning bolt on it. So let's talk about that knowledge and the processes.”
Daryl Lions holds the title of 'chief rain maker' at Rainstick, though he notes the role involves wearing many hats in early-stage startup business development and strategy to scale the technology globally.
“Daryl Lions is the chief rain maker. Yeah. So, chief rain maker sounds like really cool title, but um I guess out to do everything in business development, creating a company, lots of different hats in the early stage of a startup. um but really around strategy and how we can scale this technology globally to make a difference in agriculture.”