Australian scientists have identified the chemical in smoke that makes plant seeds germinate after bushfires, a discovery that could reap huge benefits for the agricultural sector. A team of Australian scientists has become the world's first research team to pinpoint the previously unknown chemical, called a butenolide, which induces germination in a range of plant species including celery, parsley and echinacea. "This discovery represents one of the most significant advances in seed science with benefits in the natural, agricultural, conservation and restoration sciences," said Geoff Gallup, science minister in Western Australia state.