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Sound Agriculture Nutrient Reduction Project
Sound Agriculture’s mission is to create on-demand crop solutions that lead to more sustainable, healthier, and tastier food. To that end, Sound is leveraging a data-driven, tech-enabled approach to drive climate-smart practice adoption supporting growers in the reduction of nitrogen fertilizer in an effort to mitigate GHG emissions, address water quality challenges, and improve overall soil health. In addition to addressing environmental indicators, the Nutrient Reduction Project will focus on grower profitability addressing the economic risk associated with potential yield loss from reduced nitrogen through an innovative financing guarantee.
Complete
Innovation
Engagement Targets
Notes: (1) Minor fluctuations in the number of retained growers is expected from year to year. These fluctuations may be due to year-over-year crop rotation effects or other factors beyond the control of the project. Enrolled acres represent the total number of acres on an individual farm in a specific year. The ability to report enrolled acres is based on the Fieldprint Project Standard requirement that individual growers enrolled in projects enter at least 10% of the acres managed for a specific crop. (2) Entered acres represent the actual number of enrolled acres for which data is entered in the Fieldprint Platform for analysis.
Objectives
Enroll up to 50 growers and 25,000 acres in the 2022 season
Targeted outreach efforts will be led by Sound’s field team (regional sales managers, account executives, and sales agronomists) with support from channel partners. In addition to direct calls and emails, Sound will leverage webinars and in-person events (Truterra Partners in Excellence, Commodity Classic, etc.) as well as social media engagement. Sound will also partner with the company’s Grower Advisory Board on participation.
Sound is leveraging a data-driven, tech-enabled approach to drive practice change supporting growers in the reduction of nitrogen fertilizer while mitigating any potential risk of yield loss. The pilot seeks to help growers improve nutrient efficiency in order to increase the quantity produced per acre for each unit of nutrient applied without sacrificing yield potential.
Growers will receive a free agronomic planning session to evaluate appropriate pilot fields leveraging Sound’s Performance Optimizer tool in addition to agronomic support to develop a nitrogen reduction plan. Sound’s SOURCE® microbiome activator is foliar-applied biochemistry that activates the microbiome to provide nitrogen and phosphorus to the plant, improving nutrient uptake and reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizer. With a low use rate, SOURCE is easy to use, shelf stable, tank mix compatible with herbicides and fungicides for a free ride without the need of an additional pass. Upon completion of the program, growers will receive an end-of-season analysis.
In addition to technical assistance, growers will receive financial incentive in the form of a ROI guarantee that underwrites the risk of potential yield loss.
Sound is leveraging a data-driven, tech-enabled approach to drive practice change supporting growers in the reduction of nitrogen fertilizer while mitigating any potential risk of yield loss. The pilot seeks to help growers improve nutrient efficiency in order to increase the quantity produced per acre for each unit of nutrient applied without sacrificing yield potential.
Growers will receive a free agronomic planning session to evaluate appropriate pilot fields leveraging Sound’s Performance Optimizer tool in addition to agronomic support to develop a nitrogen reduction plan. Sound’s SOURCE® microbiome activator is foliar-applied biochemistry that activates the microbiome to provide nitrogen and phosphorus to the plant, improving nutrient uptake and reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizer. With a low use rate, SOURCE is easy to use, shelf stable, tank mix compatible with herbicides and fungicides for a free ride without the need of an additional pass. Upon completion of the program, growers will receive an end-of-season analysis.
In addition to technical assistance, growers will receive financial incentive in the form of a ROI guarantee that underwrites the risk of potential yield loss.
Pilot Project that ended after 1 year.
Reduce a minimum of 300,000 pounds of nitrogen across target project acres in the 2022 season
Sound will work with growers to reduce the overapplication of nitrogen fertilizer by 25-50 lbs. to reduce nitrous oxide emissions and water quality issues related to nitrate runoff and improve overall soil health.
Sound will underwrite the risk of lost yield due to nitrogen reduction on enrolled fields guaranteeing a 1x ROI inclusive of price of SOURCE, nitrogen cost savings, and potential lost yield.
ROI definition:
ROE = (Value of Yield + Value of N) / Cost of Source
Value of Yield = Treated - Non Yield X 2022 Price (Average of CME Group Dec ’22 corn futures during February and October 2022)
Value of Nitrogen = avg. price of nitrogen during Oct 2021 and Apr 2022 (~$0.90 / lb as of 02/1/22) x units of N reduced
Sound will underwrite the risk of lost yield due to nitrogen reduction on enrolled fields guaranteeing a 1x ROI inclusive of price of SOURCE, nitrogen cost savings, and potential lost yield.
ROI definition:
ROE = (Value of Yield + Value of N) / Cost of Source
Value of Yield = Treated - Non Yield X 2022 Price (Average of CME Group Dec ’22 corn futures during February and October 2022)
Value of Nitrogen = avg. price of nitrogen during Oct 2021 and Apr 2022 (~$0.90 / lb as of 02/1/22) x units of N reduced
Pilot Project that ended after 1 year.
Participants
Project Lead Organization
Sound AgricultureFull
Project Details
Status
Complete
Pathway
Innovation
Primary Crops
Corn (grain)
Corn (silage)
Natural Resource Concern
Counties the project is located in: