Drill, Throw, Buckwheat to Brassicas and Grains

[Steven Tolly]

Not my first time with food plots, but I finally have the time, equipment and enough finances to make them work.

South Central Iowa, All old CRP Fields
Did a Soil Test and having 2 tons of lime per acre added right now. I know it will not be perfect this spring, but had to get it down sometime.

6 Acres of Beans going in by Drill, Soil will be tilled to incorporate lime a bit quicker this year. One the side of each one of these 2 plots I want to plant buckwheat in the spring and no till brassicas on one edge and a winter pea/wheat mix on the other edge. I have access to a no till drill from. Should I drill the Buckwheat in June or just spray and broadcast. Obviously it is easier to broadcast and everything I read says buckwheat will be fine if I have weed free plot and get it on the soil. I also plan on overseeding everything with Rye in early to Mid september.

When do I kill the Buckwheat, my thoughts spread seed into it, cultipack and spray. Is it ok if it goes to seed? If I leave it till August to plant brassicas it certainly will.

I want to get Brassicas, peas in early august to give them their 6 weeks.

I will not bring the drill back for fall, so they will be spread into the buckwheat as mentioned above.

Now for the back two plots, we cannot get to them to plant beans with the tractor. So they are up to me, my Mule, sprayer, drill if needed, and my pull behind disc if needed. I would like to put some clover on each one and a side strip of something for the pheasants. I was thinking corn or sorghum, Thoughts? The rest of the plot would be buckwheat and flipped in the fall to brassicas and a winter pea/ wheat mix.

I am keeping things simple to avoid a lot in fertlizier cost and to help the soil as much as I can on these plots. They are going to get some lime, but only as much as I can get back there. My back will not tolerate 2 tons an acre.

If I wanted to run an acre of clover on each one, what would be a good one to put down this spring, hoping the drought does not get it before fall.

I know lots of questions, but I have been reading everything I can find and figured some advice from people who have done it would help.

 

[Tree Spud]

Not my first time with food plots, but I finally have the time, equipment and enough finances to make them work.

South Central Iowa, All old CRP Fields
Did a Soil Test and having 2 tons of lime per acre added right now. I know it will not be perfect this spring, but had to get it down sometime.

6 Acres of Beans going in by Drill, Soil will be tilled to incorporate lime a bit quicker this year. One the side of each one of these 2 plots I want to plant buckwheat in the spring and no till brassicas on one edge and a winter pea/wheat mix on the other edge. I have access to a no till drill from. Should I drill the Buckwheat in June or just spray and broadcast. Obviously it is easier to broadcast and everything I read says buckwheat will be fine if I have weed free plot and get it on the soil. I also plan on overseeding everything with Rye in early to Mid september.

When do I kill the Buckwheat, my thoughts spread seed into it, cultipack and spray. Is it ok if it goes to seed? If I leave it till August to plant brassicas it certainly will.

I want to get Brassicas, peas in early august to give them their 6 weeks.

I will not bring the drill back for fall, so they will be spread into the buckwheat as mentioned above.

Now for the back two plots, we cannot get to them to plant beans with the tractor. So they are up to me, my Mule, sprayer, drill if needed, and my pull behind disc if needed. I would like to put some clover on each one and a side strip of something for the pheasants. I was thinking corn or sorghum, Thoughts? The rest of the plot would be buckwheat and flipped in the fall to brassicas and a winter pea/ wheat mix.

I am keeping things simple to avoid a lot in fertlizier cost and to help the soil as much as I can on these plots. They are going to get some lime, but only as much as I can get back there. My back will not tolerate 2 tons an acre.

If I wanted to run an acre of clover on each one, what would be a good one to put down this spring, hoping the drought does not get it before fall.

I know lots of questions, but I have been reading everything I can find and figured some advice from people who have done it would help.

Anything you broadcast into standing soy beans with a canopy will delay germination with the exception of WR. WR will germinate on a sidewalk. Then you have to have good rains for germination/soil contact and into early growth cycle.

I would either plant clover in the fall to get it started so you have a better green-up the following spring, or frost seed in late spring while the ground is still frozen. Red clover is a good companion with WR, but ladino is a good green clover you can mix in.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I offered some thoughts below. They are mostly internet reading based and not experience based so take them with a grain of salt.

Not my first time with food plots, but I finally have the time, equipment and enough finances to make them work.

South Central Iowa, All old CRP Fields
Did a Soil Test and having 2 tons of lime per acre added right now. I know it will not be perfect this spring, but had to get it down sometime.

6 Acres of Beans going in by Drill, Soil will be tilled to incorporate lime a bit quicker this year. One the side of each one of these 2 plots I want to plant buckwheat in the spring and no till brassicas on one edge and a winter pea/wheat mix on the other edge. I have access to a no till drill from. Should I drill the Buckwheat in June or just spray and broadcast. Obviously it is easier to broadcast and everything I read says buckwheat will be fine if I have weed free plot and get it on the soil.

Never planted buckwheat but drilling just seems like a more sure thing even if they do well when broadcasted. Get better germination and would be less susceptible to issues from missing a rain or birds chowing on em.

When do I kill the Buckwheat, my thoughts spread seed into it, cultipack and spray. Is it ok if it goes to seed? If I leave it till August to plant brassicas it certainly will.

General consensus on prior threads suggested spray-broadcast-cultipack sequence is favored to avoid possible herbicide damage to seed. Not sure when the buckwheat would go to seed but if you planted brassica in late July would that be early enough to beat them going to seed? I'd think that'd be fine with brassica and probably peas but early for winter wheat. Could maybe add the wheat when you broadcast rye? Otherwise if you don't want to plant that early you could spray a week or 2 before planting.

Now for the back two plots, we cannot get to them to plant beans with the tractor. So they are up to me, my Mule, sprayer, drill if needed, and my pull behind disc if needed. I would like to put some clover on each one and a side strip of something for the pheasants. I was thinking corn or sorghum, Thoughts? The rest of the plot would be buckwheat and flipped in the fall to brassicas and a winter pea/ wheat mix.

I am keeping things simple to avoid a lot in fertlizier cost and to help the soil as much as I can on these plots. They are going to get some lime, but only as much as I can get back there. My back will not tolerate 2 tons an acre.

If I wanted to run an acre of clover on each one, what would be a good one to put down this spring, hoping the drought does not get it before fall.

I'd probably frost seed with a blend in the spring that might be more complementary for cool/warm seasons. Real world's clover has the red and white and some chicory. Someone on here said that fixation balansa clover didn't frost seed well for them but I'm throwing some in a mix with medium red, ladino, and chicory this spring anyways and giving it a whirl. Maybe you throw some oats or barley on it once things thaw out for a nurse crop.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

With the buckwheat: If it were me i wouldn't spray it and just see what happens. I doubt it will out compete the brassica and it will offer a good green base of food until the frost takes it out. If the results are less than desired you can always spray in future plantings. To me the knowledge gained is worth more than that plot would be for only one season.

 

[bigboreblr]

Clover and pheasants. Add wheat. I'd both plant clover and frost seed more in. Experimenting this year with durana. Still mixed in Dutch white ladino medium red and crimson. Wanted patriot, but su statutes with durana. Regal makes good clover too.

Spread the wheat, scratch it in with the discs. Cultipack. Spread clover cultipack again.

Since your tillin the beans, I'd put some phosphorus and potash in at that time. They dont travel through the soil that great. 6-24-24 maybe 100 lbs an acre. Get the nutrient cycle started if going to continuous no till.

 

[Bowman]

South Central Iowa, All old CRP Fields


Did a Soil Test and having 2 tons of lime per acre added right now. I know it will not be perfect this spring, but had to get it down sometime.

This is a great time to lime. Snow and Spring rain will dissolve pelletized lime. That will give time for the lime to work. Soil test will tell you the magnesium levels. If you have “high” magnesium in your soil, do not use dolomitic lime. What is your soil type?

6 Acres of Beans going in by Drill, Soil will be tilled to incorporate lime a bit quicker this year. One the side of each one of these 2 plots I want to plant buckwheat in the spring and no till brassicas on one edge and a winter pea/wheat mix on the other edge. I have access to a no till drill from. Should I drill the Buckwheat in June or just spray and broadcast. Obviously it is easier to broadcast and everything I read says buckwheat will be fine if I have weed free plot and get it on the soil. I also plan on overseeding everything with Rye in early to Mid september.

Tilling in the lime defeats the benefits of the drill. Plant buckwheat when soil temperature is at least 50 degrees. I would not plant most brassicas and Winter pea/wheat in the Spring. The rye overseeding is fine. I would consider a perennial clover with the rye.

When do I kill the Buckwheat, my thoughts spread seed into it, cultipack and spray. Is it ok if it goes to seed? If I leave it till August to plant brassicas it certainly will.

I would not spray to kill. Frost will terminate buckwheat. Since it is considered a succulent, mowing or cultipacking is fine. I would not be worried about it going to seed. Any regrowth will die with frost. Brassicas should outgrow and shade out late buckwheat. FWIW, buckwheat is great for making phosphorous available.

I want to get Brassicas, peas in early august to give them their 6 weeks.

Yup.

I will not bring the drill back for fall, so they will be spread into the buckwheat as mentioned above.

Now for the back two plots, we cannot get to them to plant beans with the tractor. So they are up to me, my Mule, sprayer, drill if needed, and my pull behind disc if needed. I would like to put some clover on each one and a side strip of something for the pheasants. I was thinking corn or sorghum, Thoughts? The rest of the plot would be buckwheat and flipped in the fall to brassicas and a winter pea/ wheat mix.

Not sure about the drill without the tractor. Big fan of clovers for soil. Perennials in Fall, annuals in Spring.

I am keeping things simple to avoid a lot in fertlizier cost and to help the soil as much as I can on these plots. They are going to get some lime, but only as much as I can get back there. My back will not tolerate 2 tons an acre.

Lime anytime, just check your magnesium levels. Grow your own nitrogen with clovers. Buckwheat makes phosphorous available for the next plant. This is significant, fertilizers are salt. Fertilizer lowers pH.

If I wanted to run an acre of clover on each one, what would be a good one to put down this spring, hoping the drought does not get it before fall.

Fixation Balansa, Frosty Berseem and Crimson clovers. May even reseed.

I know lots of questions, but I have been reading everything I can find and figured some advice from people who have done it would help.

 

[Brian662]

In my experience, broadcast buckwheat will germinate in much higher rates on moist soil that is then cultipacked.
For your brassicas into the buckwheat, I would try planting your buckwheat later so that it doesn't get so tall, maybe late June in your area. Broadcasting brassicas into neck high buckwheat is a problem, I know from experience.
In my opinion a late June or early July buckwheat planting puts you at the 6 week growing window in mid August for brassica planting which is what I would target in your climate. If broadcasting any seed, you'll have exponentially higher success doing it before a rain, it is 100% worth moving planting time forward or back a week to catch good rain, in my experience.

 

[Brian662]

Also want to add my best spring planted clover plots were oats nurse crop that I disced/tilled into the ground and broadcast then packed clover onto the top. Remember oats die off from frost, so timing is important but late April should be a good time for you to catch spring rains and warm temps.