Sound Agriculture INFLECT is the company’s newest seed-applied biological, designed to help corn grown with anhydrous ammonia or heavy manure applications perform more consistently and protect soil health. Company agronomy lead Jeff Divan said conventional nitrogen sources can acidify soils and disrupt beneficial microbes, which can cut into root development and reduce yields.
Sound Agriculture INFLECT: how it works
The product is a planter box seed treatment applied as a powder at planting. Once in the soil, two bacterial species, Bacillus simplex and Bacillus subtilis, and one fungus, Coniochaeta nivea, activate under high-salt, high-stress conditions associated with elevated ammonium fertility, according to Divan.
He said anhydrous applications can shift pH in the root zone and limit nutrient availability. The bacteria in INFLECT form a buffer at the root interface that helps stabilize pH and encourage root growth, while the fungal strain breaks down manure and other complex organic material so nitrogen and other nutrients become accessible to the plant.
Divan said INFLECT has been in development for several years and underwent a season of commercial-scale field trials across 12 sites in Illinois, Kansas, and Missouri. The company has not disclosed total trial acreage.
Results to date indicate average yield increases of about six bushels per acre, with improvements reported at 92% of the trial locations.
The launch comes as many U.S. corn producers report being more or equally concerned about costs compared with last year and are seeking to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Divan described the approach as using biology already present in soils to improve nutrient use.
Building fertility around biology
INFLECT joins two existing Sound Agriculture products. SOURCE, a signaling chemistry, is intended to help crops access soil nitrogen and phosphorus, and BLUEPRINT, an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi solution, is aimed at enhancing nutrient and water uptake.
According to Divan, the company is evaluating how SOURCE’s signaling technology might be paired with INFLECT to improve phosphorus efficiency in corn, similar to how SOURCE is currently used to enhance BLUEPRINT’s performance.
He added that growers can design fertility programs around beneficial microbes rather than layering biologicals on top of existing inputs. Divan said creating room in the plan for biology, including reducing or replacing portions of dry fertilizer with an active soil microbiome, has delivered the strongest outcomes in the company’s experience.
For now, corn remains the primary crop targeted for Sound Agriculture INFLECT, though Divan said the company is exploring potential applications in other crops.
Many U.S. corn producers are seeking to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers as they watch record diesel prices, Fed policy and grain markets influence their margins and input costs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has promoted soil health and climate-smart practices through various conservation and climate initiatives, details of which are available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Sound Agriculture is among a growing number of companies developing microbe-based products to improve nutrient efficiency and resilience in row crops, complementing more traditional research from institutions such as USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.