Innovative nutrient efficiency technology improves profitability while reducing environmental impact
California based Sound Agriculture’s flagship product, SOURCE, provides a new option for growers looking to support positive environmental practices and maintain or boost yield. SOURCE has been shown to provide the equivalent of 25-50 lbs of nitrogen per acre for corn growers, helping to optimize nitrogen application while improving return on investment (ROI).
Nitrogen is the most essential nutrient for plant growth, yet overuse of nitrogen fertilizers can have significant environmental consequences. Up to 30-50 per cent of applied nitrogen fertilizer is not used by the plant. Unused fertilizer can pollute waterways, degrade soil health, and contribute to climate change by releasing nitrous oxide (N2O) into the atmosphere, which has 300 times the heat-trapping effect of carbon dioxide. In addition, nitrogen fertilizer is the most expensive nutrient input for growers, costing $50-75 per acre for the average US corn farmer, up to 15 per cent of overall operating costs.
SOURCE is a microbiome activator that unlocks both nitrogen and phosphorus to increase nutrient use efficiency. SOURCE stimulates the soil microbes that fix nitrogen and solubilize phosphorus, making optimal use of existing nutrients and providing a new option to growers looking to maximize profitability while supporting environmental wellbeing.
Four years of field trials show that growers can improve ROI multiple ways using SOURCE:
- Those who use nitrogen fertilizer efficiently can add SOURCE to increase corn yields an average of 7.5 bushels per acre with an 83%-win rate.
- Those with less efficient nitrogen fertilizer practices can use SOURCE to provide the equivalent of 25-50 lbs of nitrogen per acre while maintaining yield, greatly reducing input costs.
