Planting corn and soybeans together in alternating rows.

[Pabuckhunter]

I bought a JD planter, 30 inch between rows. Can I plant rows of corn, then go back again and plant soybeans between the corn rows, the same day? Giving me alternating rows of soybeans and corn spaced 15 inches apart. None of this will be harvested.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

You could do that. I don't think you would get too much soybean pod production though since the corn will quickly shade out the beans. You might have better luck if you planted a couple rows of soybeans together next to a couple rows of corn - that would allow more sun to reach the beans and reduce competition from corn planted so closely.

Maybe you could try a couple different methods if you have enough space to play around. Then you can see what works best for your specific property.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I wouldnt do every other row either. If I were to plant the 2 together I would do 5 rows of each, and alternate. So the soybeans work like a trail through the corn.

 

[Pabuckhunter]

Okay sounds good! Thanks for the reply!

 

[Bill]

I have planted together in two ways. Never with seed mixed in the same pass. Like Ben said it might crowd the beans out. I've done a pass with the planter alternating corn then beans. The way I do it now, if I mix, is a patch of beans surrounded by corn. Usually in a spot where I can see the beans from a hunting box. Figure the corn adds security, but I've never shot one on it.

Mixing also makes spraying tough because of the two different heights. But it looks good if it grows.

 

[swat1018]

Not sure how many row your planter is. Know a guy with a six row that puts corn on each end, and beans in the middle 4 rows. When he turns around it gives 2 rows corn, then 4 beans. The beans need to be more than a row to get enough sun from the corn.

 

[Diesel5610]

We plant a corn/soybean mix with a no-till drill. No issues with soybean being shaded out from the corn. Only issue you may have is having to drive over some plants when you spray, if it is Roundup Ready seed. Spray when the plants are smaller and the plants that were driven over usually bounce back relatively well, especially the beans. There are guys mixing those seeds in row units like yours as well. https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=outdoor essentials wildlife management
You may have to go back a ways but he mentions the mix ratios he uses. Several pictures of the plots as well.

 

[yoderjac]

If your objective is to maximize yield of soybeans and corn, they are best planted separately. However, there are other considerations. I plant mine with a no-till drill. I've tried several methods. If you plan to make multiple passes, plant the corn first. Corn seems to be stronger and can be planted deeper. The second pass doesn't seem to limit corn. Depending on your soils, beans can have a harder time breaking through.

I don't plant corn for the ears it produces. I plant it to add vertical cover I the beans to increase daytime use. It can also provide a lattice if you plant climbing beans. The method I like best is actually mixing the corn and beans in the hopper. I plant beans with a light mix of corn. I mix the seed at a 7:1 ratio by weight. That lets enough light in for good bean production and the corn is thin enough for hunters to shoot into the field but deer seem to feel more secure than in an open bean field.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Pabuckhunter]

Thanks for the Facebook link! I have a two row JD 7200 planter. I like the idea of filling one seed box with soybeans and the other seed box with corn. However, I don`t think I can set different seed populations on the two boxes. (maybe I don`t need to set them differently) I have never used a planter before, and know next to nothing about using it. I plan to read the manual, fill the boxes and start planting. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

 

[Bill]

Thanks for the Facebook link! I have a two row JD 7200 planter. I like the idea of filling one seed box with soybeans and the other seed box with corn. However, I don`t think I can set different seed populations on the two boxes. (maybe I don`t need to set them differently) I have never used a planter before, and know next to nothing about using it. I plan to read the manual, fill the boxes and start planting. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

I run a drill so I could be way off here. My neighbor runs a JD 7200 and I've heard him make reference to having to change seed plates out between corn and beans. Also adjusting the metering box to change the population. Somewhere in your manual there should be a section on them. If so I would think you could run different plates in each seed box.

 

[Diesel5610]

If you research the posts on the Outdoors essentials Facebook page, I believe he states he uses a soybean plate and small round corn seed. It is one of the older posts but I know it is there somewhere. He does that mix yearly as hunting plots for his customers. You can probably produce more feed planting them separately but a corn/soybrean mix plot is impossible to beat in my neck of the woods for a hunting plot. I use a drill to do mine but his method ends up with the same result.

 

[Mortenson]

I attempted it last summer, just to see how the beans would grow. The corn was already off to a good start when I dropped the beans in. They were coming along until the deer found them. Experiment over.

 

[Diesel5610]

One thing that I have found that doesn't work is trying a corn/soybean mix in smaller plots. The deer come in the plot for the beans and if they start really getting ahead of the beans they start on the corn plants. The plot needs to be big enough (2 acres or bigger with our deer densities) that the deer don't annihilate the beans or they demolish the corn as well and the plot holds no value as a hunting plot by deer season. Had this happen 2 or 3 times before I learned my lesson.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

might go without saying but if you do plant alternating rows an E-W direction would give you the most sun exposure.

 

[j-bird]

I have done this before. What I did is plant 2 rows side by side. The corn was still on 30 inch rows and the beans on 15's. It looked funny but it worked. The spacing on my beans was a bit heavy but they worked themselves out on their own. I got good corn pollenation as well. I used an old 2 row plate planter.

 

[Bill]

Had a conversation today that got me thinking about this. Not to be a killjoy but other than for security cover why bother with corn? It's expensive to plant and fertilize. It's a pain to deal with the left over trash and beans are (for me) as good or a better draw in the late season. Plus I can broadcast rye into the beans in the fall.

Standing corn looks good but it's not worth the hassle, IMO.

 

[yoderjac]

Had a conversation today that got me thinking about this. Not to be a killjoy but other than for security cover why bother with corn? It's expensive to plant and fertilize. It's a pain to deal with the left over trash and beans are (for me) as good or a better draw in the late season. Plus I can broadcast rye into the beans in the fall.

Standing corn looks good but it's not worth the hassle, IMO.

I can't speak to the north, but that is close to my position here in 7A. I don't grow corn for the ears and I completely ignore the fertilizer requirements for it. By using such a light mix with the beans, I get the security benefit for my daytime use, and the previous years bean crop provides enough N for good cob production without added N. You are right about the trash problem corn causes. This is especially true for my little Kasco Versadrill. The way I deal with it is to bushhog the stalks immediately after the season. This does not impact my cover crop but puts the stalks on the ground early to speed decomposition. I also use a tiller set to only hit the top inch of soil in the spring. It is enough to terminate the turnip portion of the cover crop and chew up the trash. This doesn't seem to bother the WR or CC portion of the cover crop that grows until I'm ready to replant.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Diesel5610]

Had a conversation today that got me thinking about this. Not to be a killjoy but other than for security cover why bother with corn? It's expensive to plant and fertilize. It's a pain to deal with the left over trash and beans are (for me) as good or a better draw in the late season. Plus I can broadcast rye into the beans in the fall.

Standing corn looks good but it's not worth the hassle, IMO.

I think the security of the cover is the key, with light to moderate hunting pressure. We have several of these plots and they are the ones that you can usually count on seeing deer in during deer season, especially gun season when they are reluctant to move to a plot during daylight. The deer will slip into the standing corn and spend quite a bit of time there before dark and linger after daylight. It is obvious when watching them that they feel relatively comfortable once in the standing corn. They are tough to beat for a gun hunting plot in our neck of the woods. Expensive and a lot of work but we have some awesome hunting over them. I can also say that deer are in them from early June when the beans are up until now so it is easier to justify the hassle of planting them. Get it planted in May and sprayed once for weeds and you are done with it until next year and the deer will be using it until next march. Deer are just cleaning up the corn and beans in our plots now and the ground looks like a barnyard. I will be brush hogging them this week since I can get the tractor on them to get them ready for spring.
We get almost as much activity in our Brassica's on one property, but deer won't touch them on the second property and this is where we mostly use the corn/soybean. 25 miles between these two properties. I have tried and would love to find a cheaper, easier plot that will produce during deer season but haven't found one on this property. It certainly isn't for every person, situation or every property but they are another tool in the old management tool bag. If you have an easier, cheaper option that will meet your goals, I would absolutely use it.

 

[Bill]

Here is a cheaper option to offer cover and beans but its not without drawbacks. in the past I have lightly broadcast sudan grass over newly planted beans. Plant beans spray 2 - 3 weeks later then broadcast the sudan sorghum. The problem is that's it for weed control. Once the sorghum germinates no more round up. I don't mind weedy beans any longer so it works.

 

[Diesel5610]

I like the looks of that! Deer would certainly feel comfortable in that.