Renewable Farming

WakeUP Spring

WakeUP Spring is formulated to enhance translocation of photosynthetic sugars from the leaf to growing points, especially roots. 

In field trials by professional research agronomist James Porterfield of Illinois, WakeUP Spring has shown a near-doubling of sugar content in corn roots two days after application.

Extra sugar exuded from young roots is designed by nature to stimulate beneficial soil organisms, which in turn help build a much larger root system. Crop-friendly bacteria and mycorrhiza also act as extensions of the root, absorbing moisture.

Since 2008, on-farm experience has shown us several effective ways to enhance yields with WakeUP Spring.

1. Spraying corn and soybeans at the two-leaf stage with 5 ounces of WakeUP Spring per acre. This can be tank-mixed with foliar nutrients and crop protection products. Cost is only about $3.30 per acre. As corn develops from the two-leaf stage to the five-leaf stage, it’s establishing its ultimate yield potential. For instance, this is the time span it “decides” how many kernel rows to set. Thus it’s highly profitable to encourage maximum health and nutrient availability at this young, stressful point of the crop’s life. 

Farmers who’ve dug corn roots to compare strips treated with WakeUP Spring, versus control strips, almost always immediately see deeper, healthier roots on the treated strips. This is a stronger foundation for the crop. Yield differences between treated and untreated corn is often 3 to 5 bushels — even more if there’s drought stress later in the season, when bigger, deeper roots become more critical.

The increased mycorrhiza population on treated roots has a cumulative benefit, year after year. Example: Despite a highly stressful 2013 season in northeast Iowa, with floods through June and then drought, we raised quite respectable crops. But the big surprise came in the spring of 2014.  In two fields we rented for the first time in 2013, and used WakeUP for the first time, we found that the soil has mellowed into that “coffee grounds” texture.  It crumbles at the lightest tillage (we work residue into the top two inches).  We believe that the profusion of 2013 crop roots from WakeUP Spring, and foliar feeding nutrients with WakeUP Summer, are the primary reason we’re seeing healthier soil.

WakeUP Spring has a gentle surfactant or “wetting” effect on the nutrient solution created by leaf photosynthesis. It becomes easier to pump out of the leaf, via the tiny phloem tubes. Less energy is expended moving sugar molecules from each photosynthetic cell. Thus the leaf sugar “factory” doesn’t back up; its product keeps moving out so solar energy can keep making sugar. And that, in turn, stimulates rood exudates which trigger an explosion of soil mycorrhizae and beneficial soil bacteria.

2. Mobilizing in-furrow and starter biologicals and nutrients. A Nebraska farmer discovered this for us. He included three ounces of WakeUP Spring with his starter trace elements on corn, and saw a consistent yield response (see nearby chart). We began using WakeUP Spring in-furrow with traces and biological products and saw the same kind of benefit. What’s apparently happening is that WakeUP Spring increases absorption of nutrients into the root, and translocation through the crop.

Also recommended for:  

— Spraying on alfalfa and other hay crops when there’s a couple of inches of regrowth following each cutting.

— Fall application on young winter wheat, to invigorate root growth and reduce winterkill. Also, spring application on wheat and other small grains for the same purpose: Multiply root growth and stooling.

— Spraying alone or with nutrients on garden crops or tree fruits to step up mobilization of sugars.  Generally, brix levels will rise in products like carrots, watermelons, green beans or tree fruit.

 

Click here to download a PDF copy of the WakeUP Summer label.