Non-RR Beets?

[roymunson]

Worth the effort? Everything I've heard is the RR version are far easier to maintain, but are the non RR version worth the effort? I guess for hunting late season you'd probably be just as far with a brassica mix, eh?

 

[Bill]

Controlling weeds would be a nightmare..they grow slow.
Said by someone who has never tried, so bare that in mind.

 

[roymunson]

Controlling weeds would be a nightmare..they grow slow.
Said by someone who has never tried, so bare that in mind.

Ya, the thought of having a football growing in the ground is kinda appealing tho...especially as desirable as that football becomes in January...

 

[NT179]

I planted some non rr a couple years ago with a garden seeder. I made a plastic shield for my hand sprayer and it actually worked pretty good between the rows. Problem was they were planted late. I plan to try it again this year.

 

[CoshoctonOH]

I did it once. I sprayed, got a good kill. Then disced. Waited two weeks then sprayed, broadcast seed then cultipacked. I checked them roughly 2 weeks later and they looked great. Checked again roughly a month after that and realized I lost. I thought I’d be GTG with the minimal soil disturbance (cultipacking) after the last spray. But the “weeds” grow like crazy during that time of year too. That plot became a PPT plot later in the year, there were sugar beets hidden in the mess, but they were thin and small (golf ball to baseball size).

 

[roymunson]

That's what I was afraid of. unless I can land some RR beets, i'll feed them other ways

 

[swat1018]

I'm not sure RR will make that big a difference for me. The pig weed, smartweed, marestail, etc are about immune to it, where I am.

 

[Bill]

I'm not sure RR will make that big a difference for me. The pig weed, smartweed, marestail, etc are about immune to it, where I am.

Me too...

 

[SWIFFY]

Im sure Libertylink has something in the works!

 

[bowhunternw]

I think that sugarbeets are good attractant during the winter months, but otherwise there are much better food plot choices. IMO

 

[don]

I have heard they can be really hard to grow, looking forward to further replies.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

There are other herbicide options but I don't think it is worth the cost. If you could no till them into rolled down and sprayed winter rye, harry vetch or something of the like you might be able to make it work.

 

[Kooch]

Just plant Rutabaga. Easy like turnips. Big like beets.

 

[Mortenson]

There are other herbicide options but I don't think it is worth the cost. If you could no till them into rolled down and sprayed winter rye, harry vetch or something of the like you might be able to make it work.

Would be interesting to see someone try to layer some pre's and what kind of luck they might have. Would probably be a pain, but maybe co-op fertilizer guy could sell someone small quantities of chems to give it a go on a small scale. Ours has done that, but we do have a working relationship with him. For my deer, I don't think the juice is worth the squeeze, as they like PTT just fine. If they liked them any better, they'd run out too fast. I realize it's different for deer who are turnip snobs.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

There was a lengthy post somewhere about non RR beets. It was on here or Iowa whitetail forum.

 

[roymunson]

There was a lengthy post somewhere about non RR beets. It was on here or Iowa whitetail forum.

Well that's a tease...

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Well that's a tease...

Did you want me to do the search for you and post the link?

 

[sagittarius]

You can use "Stinger" (clopyralid) on broadleaf weeds in sugarbeets, then a grass killer for just grasses. Keep in mind you have to spray the weeds when they are small, and be able to accurately spray 4 to 8oz per acre. Then you have to consider the future crop limitations... no alfalfa, soybeans, clover for 12 to 18 months depending on rainfall.

So yes, RR sugarbeets would be easier, except for the planting limitations in the Monsanto/Bayer Technology Use Guide ...
"Grower must not plant Roundup Ready® Sugarbeets in any wildlife feed plots." Been that way since 2010, will likely be the same in 2020.

http://tug.monsanto.com/

 

[roymunson]

Did you want me to do the search for you and post the link?

I DID!!!

Haha... No, i was just browsing today and didn't have time to dig it up. I'll find it. :D