Back in 2008, we thought the primary use of WakeUP was to spray it on corn at the two-leaf stage, encouraging a vigorous root system by mobilizing extra sugars to the root.
That still works — but we’ve learned that new formulations of WakeUP “amplify” benefits of many foliar and ground-applied nutrients too. Farmers alerted us that WakeUP Spring, added with in-furrow nutrients and biologicals, accelerates nutrient uptake. This winter we looked over four years of field trials on corn, selecting those where we compared the yield response of a nutrient or biological without WakeUP in the tank mix, and with WakeUP in the tank mix.
The average yield gain of nutrients and biologicals on corn —when applied without WakeUP — was 6 bushels. Certainly worth the cost, on average. Adding WakeUP to the product more than doubled that response, to 13.1 bushels. The average additional gain by including WakeUP: 7.1 bushels.
This averages four in-furrow field tests and seven foliar field tests since 2012. All were random-rep trials, usually with five or six replications. With the in-furrow trials, a standard WakeUP rate is only three ounces per acre. With our 2016 pricing of $90 per gallon, that cost per acre is only $2.10. With a five-ounce rate per acre on foliar treatments, the cost is $3.52 per acre.
So… $2.10 to $3.52 in WakeUP ingredient cost to get another 7-bu. corn yield gain offers an attractive risk/reward ratio even at $3.50 corn. Seven more bushels is nearly a $25 per acre gross income gain.
