Renewable Farming

Illinois farmer: “Corn looks healthier at maturity where I included WakeUP in my program”

Glen Elliott of Clark County, IL just sent us these photos of a field trial in which he’s comparing corn performance of his regular nutrient program — with, and without, WakeUP Spring. His observation as of Sept. 9: Corn looks healthier where he tank-mixed WakeUP with his 2×2 starter mix and also with the foliar applied when corn was about three feet high.

September 10, 2020: Glen is an innovative farmer. He manufactures and markets a product called Carbofish (See description at the bottom of this article). Here’s a brief outline of his fertility program this season:

Fall/winter dry application, per acre: 225 lb. DAP and 225 lbs 0-0-60, plus elemental sulfur.

2×2 with planter, per acre: 3.5 gal. Carbofish, 3.5 gal. 28% N, micronutrient blend plus zinc, all mobilized with WakeUP Spring.  

Side-dress: 50 gal. 28% N, 5 gal. Carbofish. (On corn after corn, Glen bumps the side-dress 28% up to 60 gal.)

Foliar at about 3 ft. high growth stage: 1 pint of Citation, an adjuvant, mobilized with 5 oz. WakeUP Spring.

Soils on and around Glen’s farm in Coles County, on the edge of southeast Illinois, tend toward silty clay loams and sandy loams, with significantly lower corn yield ratings than the dark prairie soils of prime central Illinois. 

Glen has maintained a robust basic fertility program over the years, maintaining fertility levels as shown in regular soil tests. He once worked in a soil test lab and understands testing procedures and benefits.

Here’s the main benefit of adding WakeUP in his starter mix and foliar applications: Applied with 2×2 starter liquids, it speeds up and enhances root uptake. For foliar applications, WakeUP drops surface tension for uniform leaf coverage, and accelerates absorption of nutrients and biostimulants into plant metabolism. Our field trials and farer reports since 2008 indicate that WakeUP in a tank mix amplifies the yield benefit of foliar nutrients as much as 80%. Example: if a foliar nutrient spray improves corn yields by 5 bu., tank-mixing WakeUP Spring or Summer with the spray solution adds around 4 bu. more for a total 9 bu. benefit. 

We’ve also seen a pound or two test weight added to corn with WakeUP in the foliar mix.

When Glen scouted corn given the nutrient program above — with and without WakeUP — he told us “Corn with WakeUP looks consistently healthier. He noted less firing on base leaves, more consistently green upper leaves, and fewer premature dying leaves. As always, such differences are easier to see when walking through the field, than when shown in a photo.

We will follow up and see how the yield turns out in treated and untreated corn.