Renewable Farming

30 to 40 bu. yield jump in corn: Fertility, biology, growth promotor — and WakeUP

The corn yield champions emphasize uniform, vigorous emergence as a foundation for reaching maximum genetic potential.

And one of our favorite “encouragers” for boosting that seedling is an in-furrow blend of nutrients and stimulants which serves as a kind of “colostrum” for the first roots and shoots.

Evidence of such a combination shows up in this yield monitor image from one of our clients in western Iowa. He’s testing a plant growth promoting product which we’ve evaluated on several hundred plots the past two seasons.  In this test, he applied a four-ingredient in-furrow mix across the field, with the exception of one 16-row pass on the left side. In that strip — which you can see dramatically changes colors — the corn yield dropped 30 to 40 bushels. 

Here’s the ingredient list:

16 ounces of a microbial stimulant called Generate, from Agnition. ($8 per acre)

20 grams per acre of a beta-test plant growth stimulant we’re experimenting with, called Lignition.  The 20-gram rate for in-furrow would cost about $2.75 per acre.

3 ounces of WakeUP Spring. ($2.50 per acre)

2 gallons of liquid 9-18-9 starter fertilizer. ($8 per acre)

Average yield on 151 acres was 189.3 bu. per acre.  There are several low-yielding patches on the right side of the field, which reflect sandy spots. The contrast between the untreated strip is greatest on the left side of the field, which is fairly uniform soil.

Now… which of the four ingredients contributed the most to this yield benefit? Our view is that they are synergistic.  Four in-furrow ingredients worked together to lift the yield here.

 

 

Strip on left side was left untreated, and showed 30 to 40 bu. lower yield

 

 

The Generate product from Agnition is a microbial stimulant.

The starter fertilizer offered a wide spectrum of NPK… not an overdose.

Lignition is an effective growth promoting product when blended with fertilizer or applied by itself.

WakeUP is an effective mobilizer for all these “encouraging” nutrients and growth promotants.