>>Even before water reaches them, the sound of droplets triggers germination in rice plants

>>Rice plants sense the sound vibrations of raindrops hitting the ground

The study involved rice seeds that were already under the water reacting to wave pressure produced by rain drops.

Moreover, the article ignores the question why seeds existing under the water would react to rain - instead surmising many other plant seeds react to the sound of raindrops, presumably on land - without explaining how 'wave pressure' would be created on land.