Deer love sugar beets

[nwmn]

Sheds found today, on and near my sugar beet plot.
View attachment 12754

Out of curiosity, how big is your sugar beet plot? Does it take a few acres to get them to yard up there or does it only take a little? Trying to estimate how much I need to dedicate to them. Also, are you having better luck with spring or fall planted beets?

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[nitro27]

Spring planting is all I've ever done. 2-3 acres is usual size tho the last couple of years 3+, along with 3 acres of soybeans, 1 acre of WR, . Along with a couple acres of misc. turnips, radishes, clovers.
Plant beans, clover and beets in spring. I plant the radishes & turnips mid summer, late July, and WR late Aug.

Beans - feed deer summer and early fall
WR, - provides fresh green in fall and early winter, but is hit extremely hard in spring, the plot looks like a tiller has gone thru it, need to plant more. turnips, radishes - feed deer fall into winter ( to be honest turnip & radishes aren't hit that hard, been using up seed I purchased, might not replace)
Beets - provide browse summer, fall and all winter
+ all the ag crops around

 

[Bill]

Spring planting is all I've ever done. 2-3 acres is usual size tho the last couple of years 3+, along with 3 acres of soybeans, 1 acre of WR, . Along with a couple acres of misc. turnips, radishes, clovers.
Plant beans, clover and beets in spring. I plant the radishes & turnips mid summer, late July, and WR late Aug.

Beans - feed deer summer and early fall
WR, - provides fresh green in fall and early winter, but is hit extremely hard in spring, the plot looks like a tiller has gone thru it, need to plant more. turnips, radishes - feed deer fall into winter ( to be honest turnip & radishes aren't hit that hard, been using up seed I purchased, might not replace)
Beets - provide browse summer, fall and all winter
+ all the ag crops around

Have you ever mixed beets with anything? I hear they don't like competition but was speaking with Ed Spin today. He recommended mixing in some beans 30lbs and real light corn 8lbs / acre to acre and a half.

Also if the beets get browsed in the summer how big of a plot do you need to be successful? Will an acre make it to fall?

 

[nitro27]

Have you ever mixed beets with anything? I hear they don't like competition but was speaking with Ed Spin today. He recommended mixing in some beans 30lbs and real light corn 8lbs / acre to acre and a half.

Also if the beets get browsed in the summer how big of a plot do you need to be successful? Will an acre make it to fall?

Mixed beans with beets twice, first and last time. Never again. You're right they don't like competition, grass, weeds etc.
Browsing - about the only time it hurts production is early on, when plants are small, the deer eat the whole plant. Later on, the many large leaves are nibbled on or one leaf out of many on the plant is eaten, doesn't seem to hurt the size of the beet. For the first few years I planted less than and acre and by late spring they were gone. Unless you have a tremendous number of deer and little else for them to eat an acre would easily make into winter.

 

[Bill]

Unless you have a tremendous number of deer and little else for them to eat an acre would easily make into winter.

Thanks. I'll have beans and clover next to them to take some pressure off them.
I've also learned to wait a couple weeks after my farmer neighbor has planted before I plant spring plots. It lets the deer disperse away from my leftover fall stuff, rye and clover.

 

[swat1018]

Did you pull the trigger, Bill? I never did, but a guy gave me a bag of BOB sugar beets. Not RR. We'll see how it goes, not much to lose.

 

[Bill]

Did you pull the trigger,

Yea. I fugured you only live once. Had to see what all the fuss was about.

 

[sagittarius]

Ed's "Deer Attraction", and Paul's "Midwest Wildlife Management" last sold RR sugar beets in 2009, under the brand name "BuckGro" to foodplotters. Then in 2010 the lawsuits against Monsanto halted RR sugar beet seed sales due to cross pollination concerns. When the dust settled, farmers could resume planting RR sugar beets. But according Monsanto's Technology Use Guide, RR sugar beets are not allowed to be planted in wildlife feed plots. This is why there is no brand of RR sugar beets marketed to foodplotters today.

"Planting Limitation: Grower must not plant Genuity Roundup Ready Sugarbeets in any wildlife feed plots"

http://www.monsanto.com/products/documents/2017_tug.010617final.pdf

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Planting my sugar beets tomorrow. I wish I could have gotten to them earlier but work was busy and the 10+" of rain we had didn't help anything either. The plot was sprayed about 10 days ago. I went 3 oz gly per gallon. It is plenty yellow but i would have expected more by now. Going to mow it off and also mow a clover plot after work today. I will till and plant tomorrow. Id like to try to get away with not fertilizing for soil heath reasons but also want to get the biggest bulbs I can with what time is remaining. The plot was in Peas, Oats, and Rye last fall but not much of the Rye took this spring. I had good growth on the peas but not sure much Nitrogen would be available this late especially with the amount of rain we have had. Thoughts on fertilizer? Is the salt content any different in urea vs ams?

ADDED: I did have a soil test done this spring. P and K are well within the desired range. It wasnt tested for N and all of the info I have read involve N/acre at either 8, 4, or 2'. My sample was just the run of the mill shovel depth.

I was thinking of just putting down 100# N and calling it sweet but wondered what your opinions/experiences have been.

 

[BobinCt]

I just read through entire post and still not sure if I can get some RR seed. It appears no, but if there is a place that sells RR Ready SB, can you let me know. Thx

 

[Bill]

I was thinking of just putting down 100# N and calling it sweet but wondered what your opinions/experiences have been.

No experience yet but Ed Spin told me 350lbs 19-19-19 per acre without a soil sample. Followed by 100 lbs 46-0-0 (urea) 6 weeks later. I figure he know his stuff he's been planting them since they were legalized.

You're a head of me getting seed down. I'm hoping next week if it drys out. If not I'm freezing the seed til next year.

Bob,
PM on the way.

 

[Steve Oehlenschlager]

You need at least 100 of actual nitrogen per acre. Can put 1/2 down now and the other half down in a month or so. So you need about 225-300 pounds of urea per acre. Especially if you have a good seed take.

 

[Big Snow Man]

I just read through entire post and still not sure if I can get some RR seed. It appears no, but if there is a place that sells RR Ready SB, can you let me know. Thx

I have seen a few guys on certain forums selling RR beets. You can't go down to the local Coop and get some.

 

[Bill]

I don't know. The upper Midwest and west are known for sugar production and sugar beets.

My co-op had no idea what a beet was :(
Well they knew canned beets. But not seed.

But my seed guy/spray guy/fertilizer guy is drunk by 11:30 so don't take my local knowledge for fact.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I was told this weekend that you can buy RR sugar beets but you need to apply for a Monsanto # he said it was easy to do. He hasn't tried to buy them so not sure if it is true

 

[Big Snow Man]

That's interesting if they changed that and are letting food plotters use it legally.

 

[sagittarius]

I was told this weekend that you can buy RR sugar beets but you need to apply for a Monsanto # he said it was easy to do. He hasn't tried to buy them so not sure if it is true

Nothing has changed since 2010. Farmers can still sign the agreement and purchase RR sugarbeet seed with the intent of producing a root crop. This is all about maintaining control of the crop so it does not cross pollinate with any other crop/field/garden ect.

http://www.monsanto.com/products/documents/2017_tug.010617final.pdf

"Planting Limitation: Grower must not plant Genuity Roundup Ready Sugarbeets in any wildlife feed plots. "

"Stewardship: All Genuity Roundup Ready Sugarbeet growers must sign the Monsanto Technology/Stewardship Agreement (MTSA) limited-use license which provides the terms and conditions for the authorized use of the product. The MTSA must be signed and approved prior to purchase or use of seed.

Bolting sugarbeets must be rogued or topped in Genuity Roundup Ready Sugarbeet fields."

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I planted my sugar beets two weeks ago today. I was only able to get a third amount of seed that I was expecting so I split the plot in two and planted rr soybeans in the other half. I planted this plot two weeks ago today. The beans and sunflowers are growing great but no signs of the beets.

How long does it usually take for them to emerge and put on some growth to make them noticeable without having to crawl around in the plot? Has anybody checked on their sugar beets or sprayed them yet?

I sprayed the plot and got a good kill before I worked the ground and planted. There are some weeds just starting to emerge. I think I'll let it go for at least a week before I hit it again with glyphosate.

 

[Bill]

How long does it usually take for them to emerge and put on some growth to make them noticeable without having to crawl around in the plot? Has anybody checked on their sugar beets or sprayed them yet?

The disclaimer is I have no practical knowledge. But I've read three weeks to germinate and show, weather permitting.
Mine have only been in for 8 days and the first rain since planting was this morning so I'm way behind you.

 

[nitro27]

Patience, Patience, Patience!!!! It takes awhile for them to sprout, I often end up spraying for weeds/grass again before they come up, especially if I was a little lacking in soil prep.