THE PROBLEM: Low rainfall and drought slash crop yields, hurting local and national economies. For more than 20 years, the solution across roughly 50 million acres of Texas has been cloud seeding, which boosts rainfall by sending silver iodine and various chlorides into the clouds from pyrotechnic flares deployed from aircraft. Although effective, this method only works when a certain type of cloud is positioned within a specified elevation range while warm air rises in the right direction at the correct speed. This approach is relatively expensive, and many stakeholders have concerns about the cumulative environmental impact of using silver iodide to increase rainfall. 

THE SOLUTION: In 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) partnered with the Texas Weather Modification Association (TWMA) to pursue a more effective, efficient, flexible and cost-effective technology to support the nation’s food supply. The result: the Aerial Electrostatic System for Weather Modification, an innovative method of seeding clouds without chemicals. Aircraft fitted with a specialized spraying system disperse negatively charged water droplets into clouds, where they bind to positively charged water droplets and increase rainfall. Compared to conventional seeding methods, this technology can seed clouds with warmer temperatures, as are typically found in areas of drought, and weaker updrafts, broadening the opportunities for use.   

THE TECH TRANSFER MECHANISM: Initial studies began through a non-contracted cooperation between the USDA ARS Aerial Application Technology Research Unit and Rain Development Corporation (RDC). In 2017, research continued through a non-contracted agreement with TWMA, the largest convective weather modification organization in the U.S. In 2021, while work continued with TWMA, USDA ARS established a CRADA with Insight Engineering, though Covid-19 and funding restraints ended the partnership early. Funding from the ARSX Award research funding competition allowed research to continue, resulting in one issued patent and one pending application. In 2022, USDA-ARS entered into a license with TWMA to further extend their collaborative efforts and bring the technology to market.   

THE TECH TRANSFER EXCELLENCE: USDA ARS research engineer Daniel Martin’s persistence to repeatedly find innovative solutions to challenges was essential to this technology’s progress. One tool he used was non-contracted agreements: Such an agreement with RDC produced crucial proof-of-concept data, while a non-codified partnership with TWMA prevented progress from halting when the USDA ARS research airplane was damaged so badly that it was put out of commission. When Covid-19 forced the end of a partnership with Insight Engineering, Martin’s successful submission to the high-risk, high-reward ARSX funding competition enabled work to continue, which led to patents soon after.  

THE OUTCOMES: Data have shown that aerial electrostatic cloud seeding can more than double the amount of extra precipitation from seeded clouds compared to conventional methods. For West Texas, this equates to an extra 3.8 inches of rain – contributing to agricultural security, reducing reliance on overtaxed aquifers and translating to a benefit of more than $22.8 million, according to a 2014 economic analysis. At the time of publication, research and fundraising continue, and public and private entities have expressed interest in licensing the technology for a variety of uses, potentially leading to new opportunities for aviation professionals.