Mixing forage and non-forage beans?

[Dukslayr]

Has anyone experimented with mixing forage soybeans with Ag beans to help get beans through browse pressure? I’ve only planted forage beans once (Eagle) and had pretty good success with them but I’m assuming they will out compete the Ag beans. I’m sure they could be planted along the outer rows of a plot eith Ag beans in the middle, but just curious if anyone has had success mixing the two?

Thomas

 

[Telemark]

I would not mix them. I would fence the ag beans and remove the fence when you want the deer to get at them.

 

[Dukslayr]

I would not mix them. I would fence the ag beans and remove the fence when you want the deer to get at them.

That’s not really an option...will be several acres so logistically fencing in two different 3 acre fields probably don’t work. I may have enough acres to stay ahead of the browse pressure but not positive m about that. This is my first year with beans here so only one way to find out.

 

[Telemark]

Aw bummer. I don't have any experience, so I can't help in that regard. Is there a part of the fields the deer relate to more? Could you use a certain fertilizer to make the forage beans more attractive to deer in the summer months?

 

[Dukslayr]

Aw bummer. I don't have any experience, so I can't help in that regard. Is there a part of the fields the deer relate to more? Could you use a certain fertilizer to make the forage beans more attractive to deer in the summer months?

The smart play would privabky be to plant the outer 10–15 rows with forage beans and the rest eith Ag beans I’m guessing. Not sure how much of a pain that will be though.

 

[yoderjac]

Has anyone experimented with mixing forage soybeans with Ag beans to help get beans through browse pressure? I’ve only planted forage beans once (Eagle) and had pretty good success with them but I’m assuming they will out compete the Ag beans. I’m sure they could be planted along the outer rows of a plot eith Ag beans in the middle, but just curious if anyone has had success mixing the two?

Thomas

Yes, I have. I mixed RR Eagle Forage Beans with Ag beans. The result was a field of Eagle Forage Beans. They were so much more aggressive they simply outcompeted the Ag beans. If you want to use both, I would suggest a strategy of planting the inside of a field in Ag beans and the outside in Eagle beans. Deer tend to browse a field from the outside (near cover) in. The Eagle Forage Beans can take the heavier browse pressure off the ag beans without competing with them. While I have not done this myself, others have with good success.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[swat1018]

The smart play would privabky be to plant the outer 10–15 rows with forage beans and the rest eith Ag beans I’m guessing. Not sure how much of a pain that will be though.

This is the best bet. Fill the drill with however many Eagles you want to plant. Start around the outside of the plot drilling, moving inward until you run out or want to switch. Plant Ag beans in the center.

 

[Dukslayr]

This is the best bet. Fill the drill with however many Eagles you want to plant. Start around the outside of the plot drilling, moving inward until you run out or want to switch. Plant Ag beans in the center.

Thanks guys. I’ll plan to go this direction. The other thing I was thinking was just planting a full forks of each and seeing what happens. Curious if 2.5-3 acre fields of Ag beans can stay areas of the browse pressure. Only one way to find out I guess.

 

[BenAllgood]

What about planting strips of each? You could plant one first, then go back with other between the strips.

 

[swat1018]

You could plant strips, but he's trying to minimize browse damage to the Ag beans. The pest way to do that is surround them by the Eagles. The eagles regenerate and withstand the browse better.

2.5 - 3 acres hasn't been enough for to stay ahead of my herd. But, I haven't tried the Eagles around the outside often, the last time I did the drought was so severe it didn't matter what you planted. Another trick that works is spread Milorganite on the beans when they start emerging. It does well at repelling deer, apparently they don't like the smell of human shit.

 

[Bill]

I can get away with 2-3 acres in my smaller plots. I’m sure the reason is I also rent a 12 acre field to a farmer that plants beans. I’m also surrounded by 100’s of acres of beans. Only reason I plant them is for late fall food. But my small hidden plots get plenty of action all year.

The problem I had with forage beans was following up with rye in September. The buggers just stay green so long the rye doesn’t do well until spring.

 

[yoderjac]

I can get away with 2-3 acres in my smaller plots. I’m sure the reason is I also rent a 12 acre field to a farmer that plants beans. I’m also surrounded by 100’s of acres of beans. Only reason I plant them is for late fall food. But my small hidden plots get plenty of action all year.

The problem I had with forage beans was following up with rye in September. The buggers just stay green so long the rye doesn’t do well until spring.

I handled this issue with a "designer" approach: http://habitat-talk.com/index.php?t...d-corn-field-transfered-from-qdma-forum.5543/

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Dukslayr]

I handled this issue with a "designer" approach: designer-bean-and-corn-field-transfered-from-qdma-forum

Thanks,

Jack

Link won’t open for me Jack.

 

[Dukslayr]

I can get away with 2-3 acres in my smaller plots. I’m sure the reason is I also rent a 12 acre field to a farmer that plants beans. I’m also surrounded by 100’s of acres of beans. Only reason I plant them is for late fall food. But my small hidden plots get plenty of action all year.

The problem I had with forage beans was following up with rye in September. The buggers just stay green so long the rye doesn’t do well until spring.

I’ve got a lot of Ag around me too, as you’d expect, but also have a lot of CRP and some pasture. I have a feeling my fields are going to get hammered.

 

[yoderjac]

Link won’t open for me Jack.

Issue with the paste. I fixed it. Try it now.

 

[swat1018]

I have a 8 acre plot in the timber. It's a large continuous block of timber, but I'm at one end. There is ag on the other 2 sides of me for a long way. My 8 acre plot is secluded, so they still prefer it, even with plenty of ag a few hundred yards away. A good problem, but still frustrating when you keep having failures on corn/beans. I'm about to bite the bullet on an e fence.

 

[Wild Thing]

2.5 - 3 acre plots of beans get hammered here too - especially on my south end. I usually end up drilling cereal grains into them later so I have some fall forage. I tried planting both Eagle Forage Beans and Ag beans in separate plots for comparison several years ago. The Forage beans did not fare any better than the ag beans so I don't plant them anymore. YMMV.

We took 9 deer on our 160 acres last year hoping to thin them out some. Will see what happens this year.

 

[Dukslayr]

I have a 8 acre plot in the timber. It's a large continuous block of timber, but I'm at one end. There is ag on the other 2 sides of me for a long way. My 8 acre plot is secluded, so they still prefer it, even with plenty of ag a few hundred yards away. A good problem, but still frustrating when you keep having failures on corn/beans. I'm about to bite the bullet on an e fence.

I can’t imagine dealing with fencing on an 8 acre plot...but maybe they’re not much to maintain and it’s very easy to put up and take down.

 

[Wild Thing]

I can’t imagine dealing with fencing on an 8 acre plot...but maybe they’re not much to maintain and it’s very easy to put up and take down.

I can't imagine fencing 8 acres either. I did two 1 acre plots and one 1/2 acre plot with E-Fence last year and it was a lot of work. It is probably a lot less work thinning out the deer population...

 

[yoderjac]

I can't imagine fencing 8 acres either. I did two 1 acre plots and one 1/2 acre plot with E-Fence last year and it was a lot of work. It is probably a lot less work thinning out the deer population...

Maybe not lest work.... but a lot less fun!