As farming systems evolve, growers are navigating variable seasons and tighter margins with an increasing focus on efficiency, planning, and informed decision-making.
Consistent, profitable yields now depend on precision nutrition, delivering the right nutrients, in the right form, in the right place, at the right time.
Sonic Essentials has built its product philosophy around this principle, delivering technologies which strengthen crop performance from the moment the seed enters the soil.
Sonic Essentials agronomist Michelle Bammann says through IcON seed-applied trace minerals, IcOAT fertiliser coating, and N-Yield nitrogen efficiency technology, we can provide a complete, integrated approach to micronutrient delivery and nitrogen protection.
“Each product addresses a different agronomic challenge but shares the same goal: unlocking crop potential through smarter nutrient management,” she says.
N-Yield: Protecting nitrogen when it matters most
Nitrogen remains one of the largest input costs in broadacre farming, yet volatilisation losses from untreated urea can exceed 40 per cent.
N-Yield, powered by Penxcel Technology, addresses this risk by inhibiting the urease enzyme responsible for rapid nitrogen loss.
“N-Yield isn't just a stabiliser – it’s an insurance policy that anchors your N-investment until the rain arrives,” Ray Asebedo from NexusBioAg says.
“By slowing urease activity, N-Yield provides critical time for rainfall or irrigation to move urea into the soil, where it converts to ammonium and becomes plant-available,” he says.
“The outcome is improved nitrogen use efficiency, reduced volatilisation, and more nitrogen retained within the soil profile.”
Proven results include yield increases of 5-10 per cent across multiple crops and the potential to reduce nitrogen application rates by up to 20 per cent without sacrificing performance.
Available in both 20 per cent and 40 per cent NBPT formulations, N-Yield offers flexibility across different blending and handling systems.
Penxcel technology enhances penetration into urea granules, improves blending speed, and increases NBPT stability, ensuring treated urea remains effective during storage.
In an environment of fluctuating nitrogen prices and increasing environmental scrutiny, N-Yield provides a practical and responsible way to protect one of farming’s most valuable inputs.
Ray says stability in the soil profile starts with stability on the urea granule: “If we can’t keep it where we put it, we can't manage it for yield”.
IcOAT: Precision micronutrient coating for fertiliser
While N-Yield protects nitrogen and IcON targets the seed, IcOAT addresses the challenge of micronutrient distribution in the soil.
Traditional dry-blended micronutrients often create uneven spacing between granules, leaving many plants without access to essential trace elements during early growth.
IcOAT solves this by coating every fertiliser granule with a uniform layer of micronutrients, ensuring more consistent distribution through the root zone.
Using sub-2-micron particles – most below 1 micron – IcOAT achieves exceptional coverage, rapid drying, and high analysis across a wide range of formulations including zinc, copper, plus, Super ZM 60, Genesis ZC, Vital ZMC, and Enhance.
The result is improved early nutrient availability and more consistent crop performance. Compatible with both batching and continuous systems, IcOAT integrates seamlessly into modern fertiliser handling operations, delivering precision without adding complexity.
IcON: Seed-applied trace minerals for a stronger start
Early vigour sets the trajectory for the entire season. IcON is designed to give crops that advantage by delivering essential trace minerals directly onto the seed.
IcON Plus contains a balanced formulation of zinc, copper, nitrogen, and molybdenum to support enzyme activation, root development, and early metabolic function.
Applied at 2L per tonne of seed (based on a 100kg/ha seeding rate), IcON Plus delivers 123g/ha of zinc, 60g/ha of copper, and 17g/ha of molybdenum – an agronomically meaningful dose positioned exactly where the emerging plant needs it.
This precise placement eliminates the spatial variability common with dry blends or in-furrow granules.
IcON Zinc further targets zinc deficiency with a high-analysis 1500g/L formulation. Applied at 1-1.8L per tonne of seed (at a 90kg/ha seeding rate), it delivers 135-245g/ha of zinc directly on the seed, supporting strong early establishment.
In seasons where establishment determines yield potential, IcON seed treatments ensure every seed begins with a solid micronutrient foundation.
A complete system for modern farming
What sets Sonic Essentials apart is not just the performance of each product, but how they work together:
From seed to soil, Sonic Essentials delivers a cohesive, science-driven approach to crop nutrition—recognising the complexity of modern farming while providing practical, high-impact solutions.
