Sound Agriculture’s SOURCE™ shown to increase yield and reduce nitrogen needs in on-farm trials

Nitrogen is the most essential nutrient for plant growth, yet overuse of nitrogen fertilizers can have significant environmental consequences. Up to 30 – 50% 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 US$50 – 75/acre for the average US corn farmer, up to 15% of overall operating costs.

SOURCE is a microbiome activator that unlocks both nitrogen and phosphorus to increase nutrient use efficiency. It stimulates the soil microbes that fix nitrogen and solubilise phosphorus, making optimal use of existing nutrients and providing a new option to growers looking to maximise profitability while supporting environmental wellbeing.

4 years of field trials show that growers can improve ROI multiple ways using this technology.

• Those who use nitrogen fertilizer efficiently can add SOURCE to increase corn yields an average of 7.5 bushels/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/acre while maintaining yield, greatly reducing input costs.

“If we look at the US corn market, national yields continue to trend higher, but at an increasing cost to profitability and the environment. It takes more nitrogen to grow a bushel of corn today than it did 50 years ago, which is not a sustainable trend,” said Jeff Divan, Senior Manager of Sales Agronomy, Sound Agriculture. “As a grower myself, having a product like SOURCE that allows us to grow corn more efficiently while reducing impact on the land is a huge step forward.”

Results from 2020 trials at multiple locations showed that using SOURCE enabled the reduction of 25 lbs of nitrogen while maintaining or increasing yield. In certain locations and soil types, it enabled the reduction of 50 lbs of nitrogen while maintaining yield.

“We are using chemistry that enhances the natural abilities within the plant to improve yields and environmental outcomes without adding complexity for the grower,” said Adam Litle, CEO, Sound Agriculture. “SOURCE checks all the boxes. We sold out last year and, thanks to 10 times higher production volume and top notch retail partners, are able to get SOURCE into the hands of more growers for the 2021 season.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/special-reports/20012021/sound-agricultures-source-shown-to-increase-yield-and-reduce-nitrogen-needs-in-on-farm-trials/