Mr PlantMac: Advancing Practical Alternatives to Urea in Australian Grain Systems

For many grain growers, nitrogen strategy remains one of the most significant cost and risk decisions made each season. Input price volatility, seasonal variability and long-term soil performance all influence productivity and margin outcomes across broadacre systems.

Mr PlantMac was founded by Iain Macpherson with a clear objective: support sustainable agriculture through innovative plant growth stimulants designed to reduce reliance on traditional chemical fertilisers such as urea, while remaining practical within existing grain production systems.

Based in Victoria, Iain’s journey began more than 15 years ago through hands-on experimentation and refinement. What started as a deep interest in plant performance evolved into a disciplined process of testing, adjusting and validating ingredients that could improve soil function and crop resilience under challenging Australian conditions.

From drought and frost to waterlogging and nutrient stress, the goal was consistent: build a formulation that addressed multiple growth-limiting factors at once — while remaining commercially viable for growers operating at scale.

At the core of the innovation was scientific reasoning.

“What made my product different was the ingredients I selected had a rational scientific reason why you would select them.”

Rather than focusing on a single input replacement, Mr PlantMac was developed as a multi-functional stimulant — combining ingredients that individually would be costly to apply separately, but together could be delivered efficiently in one pass, improving nutrient-use efficiency and supporting soil biological function.

Early Development and On-Farm Learning

Before entering the Farmers2Founders (F2F) Pre-Accelerator in 2024, Mr PlantMac had already begun building traction through small-scale on-farm trials, word-of-mouth referrals, direct grower engagement and ongoing formulation refinement.

The agronomic promise was evident, but commercially the business remained constrained.

The original powder formulation, although effective, was incompatible with liquid fertiliser systems such as boom sprayers — standard infrastructure across broadacre grain operations. This created a significant barrier to adoption. Production was also constrained by cash flow challenges, and business structuring required strengthening to enable scale and investment.

At this stage, the product had demonstrated field potential, but the commercial architecture required for broader adoption was still developing.

Entering the Farmers2Founders Pre-Accelerator

In 2024, Mr PlantMac joined the F2F Pre-Accelerator to address these commercial and operational constraints directly.

Through structured coaching and targeted program support, Iain focused on:

• Transitioning to a liquid formulation compatible with existing equipment

• Strengthening business structure and governance

• Improving cash flow management

• Clarifying go-to-market strategy

• Building investment readiness

  
  

The transition to a liquid product format proved to be a pivotal milestone. By aligning the product with standard boom sprayer infrastructure, a major adoption barrier was removed and the product became more readily integrated into existing paddock operations.

The commercial impact was immediate.

Following the launch of the liquid product, revenue increased by more than 60% within the initial release period, validating improved product-market fit and customer demand. Expanded on-farm trials further strengthened credibility, and the customer base grew to more than 30 growers within the first structured year of commercial focus.

Reflecting on the program, Iain shared:

“I entered this program with clear goals but uncertainty about how to achieve them… I particularly benefited from the guidance on business structures and found the supportive environment invaluable in boosting my confidence.”

Participant confidence tracking demonstrated measurable uplift across value proposition clarity, go-to-market strategy, finance, team capability and risk management — translating into stronger commercial execution and clearer growth planning.

Strengthening Grower Validation and Commercial Momentum

As the business matured, grower engagement deepened and became central to sustained growth. On-farm trials were not only a validation mechanism but a practical demonstration tool, allowing growers to observe performance under variable seasonal conditions and make their own assessments.

In one Victorian grain system, a grower reported achieving an 8 tonne per hectare wheat crop in a region where significantly lower yields are typically considered strong performance. In another season with a dry finish, treated crops maintained greenness longer, enabling grain harvest rather than downgrading to hay.

Through continued engagement, application timing was refined, with early-season application demonstrating the most consistent results in grain systems.

Following completion of the program, the business continued to grow. Overall sales nearly doubled from its early commercial phase, and the customer base expanded to approximately 40 growers, supported largely by repeat purchasing and organic demand rather than formal advertising campaigns.

Product refinement also continued in response to regulatory realities. A hormone component requiring costly regulatory approval was removed and replaced with an alternative ingredient with a clearer approval pathway — strengthening suitability for broader grain market adoption and simplifying future scale.

Transition to a Scalable Operating Model

In early 2025, Iain transitioned the business to three agricultural operators under a structured five-year royalty agreement. Rather than a traditional upfront sale, the agreement enables growth while aligning incentives over time and allowing the product to scale within established soil rejuvenation enterprises.

Under the new structure, operational maturity has strengthened through:

• Formal accounting, compliance and insurance systems

• Upgraded mixing and manufacturing infrastructure

• Increased production efficiency

• Structured seasonal planning ahead of the autumn break

  
  

Production capability is now targeting 5,000 litres per week during peak season, representing potential annual sales of approximately $1.57 million, with estimated gross margins of ~25% if scale targets are achieved.

The business is currently focused on Western Australia, where discussions are underway with large-scale hay and grain growers. A full-scale commercial trial over two seasons is planned with a hay grower, alongside efforts to secure multiple grain grower supply contracts.

Despite stepping back from day-to-day operations, Iain remains clear about the broader opportunity:

“I genuinely believe that the industry needs an alternative to urea.”

And importantly, his motivation remains grounded in industry impact:

“If it succeeds, it won’t just be my win. It’ll be good for growers.”

Relevance to the Grains Industry

Fertiliser cost volatility, soil performance and input efficiency are practical challenges shaping grain production decisions across Australia.

Mr PlantMac was developed in response to these pressures. The formulation is designed to:

• Improve water-use efficiency

• Support soil biological function

• Enhance crop resilience

• Integrate within existing boom spray systems

  
  

Through the Farmers2Founders pathway, Mr PlantMac progressed from long-term experimentation and small-scale trials to structured commercial development, measurable revenue uplift, expanded grower adoption and scaled production readiness.

The journey demonstrates how disciplined product refinement, grower validation and targeted acceleration support can convert regenerative innovation into scalable opportunity within Australian grain systems.

This work is delivered as part of Farmers2Founders’ ongoing partnership with the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), supporting innovation that strengthens the long-term productivity and sustainability of the Australian grains industry.https://grdc.com.au/