Paul Syltie leads worldwide field research for Vitazyme, one of the most thoroughly proven plant growth stimulants we’ve found. We met Paul when he was visiting our neighboring crop research farm, ACRES, where Paul’s company, Vital Earth Resources, has conducted field trials with Vitazyme for many years. Paul has headed this project for close to 20 years.
We learned that Paul is also an author of books on rebuilding soil life. We learned a lot from his 2002 book, “How Soils Work,” and saw the manuscript for his just-published volume, “The Bridge to Eden.” You can review his books on Amazon.com at this link.
In 2015, we decided to see whether WakeUP would enhance the yield-boosting effect of Vitazyme. This is a challenge, with a product so well-established. The Vital Earth Resources research report for 2015 fills 63 pages with field trials from all over the world.
Our 2015 trial was a simple random-rep yield test on soybeans. Vitazyme alone, foliar-applied in early July, pushed our bean yield by 5.1 bushels, about a 10% increase. (See nearby graph.)
Including 5 ounces of WakeUP Summer in the foliar spray mix pushed up yields by 7.2 bushels. Even at $9 beans, the extra 2 bu. gain over Vitazyme alone is $18 compared to a cost of $3.50 per acre for five ounces of WakeUP Summer. You can download the complete plot data from our website as a PDF, found at this link.
Which brings us to this season and a new experiment: Testing Vitazyme with and without WakeUP as an in-furrow stimulant for corn. We’re cooperating with the ACRES research firm here at Cedar Falls, headed by Dr. Bert Schou. The trial is checking in-furrow stimulation with Vitazyme, (with and without WakeUP Spring), along with a foliar application of Vitazyme (with and without WakeUP Summer).
While we’re waiting for the weigh wagon to provide final results this fall, Paul visited Aug. 8 to get a preview of the plots. Typically, Paul carries a spade and digs up roots to study root structures and the rhizosphere (soil around the roots) for indicators during the growing season.
Paul randomly sampled cornstalks from each of the four treatments: Control, Vitazyme alone, WakeUP alone, and Vitazyme + WakeUP in combination.
We had expected to see more massive roots in the rows which were given an in-furrow stimulus of Vitazyme via the planter. Compared with the untreated control, those roots proved to be much deeper, with profuse root hairs which clung to soil. The Vitazyme + WakeUP treated roots looked comparable to those treated with Vitazyme alone.
What surprised us was that the plot given an in-furrow trickle of only WakeUP Spring alone looked almost as massive and rich with beneficial mycorrhizae as those which had tasted Vitazyme at germination time. We’ve never tested “just WakeUP” in-furrow. We have for several years recommended WakeUP Spring as an enhancer of in-furrow nutrients and biologicals. We learned of this effect on roots from a Nebraska farmer, Arlynn Aldinger. He added 3 oz. of WakeUP to his in-furrow nutrients for soybeans — and reported a 6-bu. yield benefit.
Before Arlynn’s discovery, we thought the earliest use of WakeUP was as a foliar at V2, which enhances sugar translocation to roots. Once again, the “experts” are surprising us with our own product. We’ll know a lot more about this trial in early November! Here’s how the roots which Paul Syltie dug looked Aug. 8, 2016:
By Jerry Carlson, Aug. 9, 2016