Frequently Asked Questions

By offering SOURCE and BLUEPRINT, Sound is providing a unique solution in the nutrient efficiency space. BLUEPRINT is the highest quality arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) available. AMF are beneficial fungi that join forces with the crop by forming millions of tunnel-like fine hair structures in the soil that act like an extra set of roots. These “roots” enable crops to reach further into the soil and gain more access to nutrients and water with 100X the root area. Most microbes make nutrients (mostly N) available at the rootzone, while AMF extend the plant’s reach into the soil profile. With SOURCE and BLUEPRINT, growers are able to get the most out of their fertilizer investment. It is easy to use, apply and store since the spores are dormant until activated and last for up to two years.

While SOURCE activates the microbes in many biological products, SOURCE + BLUEPRINT is the most powerful chemistry and biology 1-2 punch to give your crop what it needs to succeed. AMF are an incredibly valuable partner to crops, delivering nitrogen, phosphorus, micronutrients and water. The challenge is that it’s hard to get them to associate with the crop. That’s where the signaling power of SOURCE comes in. SOURCE turns your soil into a nutrient factory by activating 200+ microbe species and BLUEPRINT builds the delivery network to maximize nutrients to your crop. It’s a combination where 1+1 > 3.

While BLUEPRINT works well on its own, the key to getting the most out of AMF is to make sure they form a good relationship with the crop. AMF typically lie dormant due to tillage or fertilizer practices. They have to sense a plant signal to know it’s time to spring to life and join with the plant. SOURCE provides that signal. When used together, growers get the highest ROI.

BLUEPRINT’s big advantage is quality. AMF products have historically been hard to produce. BLUEPRINT is the highest quality and has the highest spore concentration of any product we’ve tested in our lab.

There are two species of AMF in BLUEPRINT, Rhizophagus intraradices and Funneliformis mosseae.

BLUEPRINT spores can persist in the soil for multiple years unless damaged by tillage or other agricultural practices. However, application is needed each year because agricultural soils have very low levels of AMF, so re-inoculating is critical to get the desired impact each year.

Yes! While our programs like Efficient Acre and the Fertilizer Replacement Guarantee focus on SOURCE, BLUEPRINT will help your crop access more of those nutrients, especially phosphorus.

We do not recommend BLUEPRINT application along with systemic, soil-applied fungicides like Xyway.

AMF networks extend beyond a single plant in the field, so single plant coverage is less important than field coverage. The key is getting the right amount of AMF on the acre for maximum effect. The goal is to colonize the soil, not cover the seed. So the most important consideration is use rate per acre.

Phosphorus fertilizers are generally compatible. Avoid exposure to high levels of starter fertilizers, particularly orthophosphate. Growers using products like 10-34-0 that are applied 2x2 or banded they can apply rates as high as 20+ gal/ac. That is equivalent to 10-75 lb P/acre range close to the seed. Mix and apply the same day.

Yes, zinc and other micronutrients are compatible.

Like SOURCE, we recommend using BLUEPRINT on your most challenging acres, particularly ones that may deal with phosphorus issues due to pH imbalance.

Yes, seed treatment fungicides are generally compatible.

It is okay to treat seeds well in advance as long as treated seeds are used within the shelf life of the product.

Most soils have decades worth of P. The problem is that P, especially the kinds in MAP and DAP, readily binds with elements in the soil making it unavailable to the crop. It’s like working with a bank that only lets you access 20% of your credit at a time, meaning you’d have to get another loan in order to make a big purchase. Buying and applying MAP/DAP is like an expensive second loan that you wouldn’t need if you just could access more of your credit in the first place. With SOURCE we increase access to your investment. So yes you’re mining, but it would take years, especially if you’re still adding some MAP/DAP, which is what we recommend. Using SOURCE + BLUEPRINT allows you to utilize the decades worth of P in your soil. SOURCE activates microbes that unlock P, and BLUEPRINT increases the crop's reach into the soil to bring more P to the crop.

We’ve run hundreds of tissue tests over the past three years to measure the micronutrient increase in crops when SOURCE is used. We compared the nutrients in tissue to the amount of nutrients in common micropacks and are confident that SOURCE delivers at least $5-10 worth of micronutrients. Most micronutrient applications tie up quickly, rely on the plant to intercept small quantities of the nutrient, and are not very efficient. SOURCE improves availability and uptake of nutrients, focusing on the specific nutrients the crop is deficient in, whether it’s Boron, Zinc, Sulphur, Copper, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium or another nutrient.

Crops can still benefit from improved access to other macro and micronutrients, especially with our Maximum Acre solution, which includes the use of BLUEPRINT. If you’re only willing to use SOURCE, then think of that application as insurance that your crop will have enough nutrients to protect plant health and resilience. If you add BLUEPRINT, we’ll guarantee that it will drive yield or we’ll pay you back.

SOURCE activates beneficial microbes that are common in biological products on the market. In our research, the magic happens when those microbes are AMF, since once activated, they are a powerful contributor of crop nutrition and water.

SOURCE works best in poor soils since they can benefit most from getting access to additional nutrients. This can be a strategic approach, as increasing yields in lower-performing areas has a greater impact on your operation’s ROI than marginal gains in already high-yielding areas.

• Our data gives us confidence that SOURCE DC will provide a similar impact on soybeans, which is a significant logistical advantage for most of our growers in corn/soybean rotations. They now benefit from a single product in one jug, applied at a rate of one oz per acre XC really shines in wheat, cotton, and the forages, making the co-pack product worth the extra step.

Applying SOURCE with a herbicide pass is one of the most common and recommended methods of application.

We recommend applying SOURCE in the morning when beans are stressed. Aim for application when the combined temperature and humidity are less than 150 degrees.

Early application takes place with herbicide (V3-V5).

We have seen benefits in consistency of performance as well as some yield impacts, however, the ROI impact is not great enough to justify recommending two passes.

In general, we recommend the early V4 application to help the crop take advantage of the season-long benefits that come from the symbiotic relationship with soil microbes.

Feeks 6 is the most opportune time for a SOURCE application on wheat.

The minimum recommended volume of water is two gallons per acre, which allows for effective coverage.

Commissions are calculated as a percentage of the net-of-discount, paid-in-full agency sales of the dealership. The commission percentage increases as dealer volume increases. When dealers reach a new commission percentage tier, that percentage applies back to the first dollar. See agency contract for more details.

New dealers must have a sales volume of $25,000 or more to earn a commission, while returning dealers must have a minimum sales volume of $50,000.

Rise is the go-to resource for more details on our pricing and programs. Reach out to e.wolfe@sound.ag for any help accessing Rise.

Title transfer dealers who order minimum volumes may return a percentage of product. There are no returns on agency sales.

How you run your business is the biggest determinant of whether title transfer or agency is most beneficial. The commissions/margins are similar depending on the sale price and volume, and the benefit tiers are identical. If you value no up front working capital requirements, commission on what you sell, and no inventory, then agency is best. If you value having product on hand, returns, and bundling with other products, then title transfer may be best.

Yes, growers may purchase and use products however they please. The solutions are designed to provide guidance on how the products will perform best. They are meant to create the most value for the grower based on that grower’s goals.

Since you're stacking two products, one at planting and one in season, it can be hard to leave check strips. That's why you need to treat whole fields and then leave 30% of fields untreated. Sound looks at the APH of your fields to set a baseline for relative performance and makes sure that your treated fields beat out your control fields by enough to pay for the product. You'll share the fields and that APH information next July before harvest.

No, the only crop with an NUE threshold is corn.

No, the hybrid does not need to be the same across control fields for this guarantee. For the Yield Performance guarantee with check strips, we ask for hybrids to be constant in treated and non-treated areas in order to get a fair comparison.