release method in Wisconsin- advice welcome!

[Binney59]

I have 5 acres (3 acre and 2 acre fields) in Central Wisconsin with a high deer density and some commercial ag in the area. I am fortunate to have a 5' genesis drill and roller crimper with my end goal to always have something growing in my plots (buffalo system/release method).

Two years ago I planted forage beans and they got heavily browsed which prevented a canopy from keeping weeds at bay. The deer wiped out most of the beans and the pods that I did get were filled with undeveloped beans. I broadcasted rye into the beans but weeds continued to be an issue and I did not have a good stand of rye the following spring. On to plan B.

Last year I switched to Green Cover Seeds summer blend and then drilled in their fall release but did not have ideal results. My summer blend seemed to have a lot of weeds and only the brassicas seemed to do well. The fall blend never really took off but again, I was dealing with a lot of weeds due to poor coverage from the summer blend. I am not sure that our growing season has enough time to fully implement two plantings of Green Cover's blends- that's my hunch anyway. On to plan C.

This year I am planning on planting RR ag beans and fencing them off. I would like to either drill in or broadcast rye into the stand this fall to suppress weeds in the spring and offer additional food this fall. I will also include some other fall plants but have not decided which are best.

For those who have successfully implemented this system, do you recommend broadcasting your fall planting as the beans leave start to yellow or would you run a drill through the beans? Does anyone have any fall blends that they like? Leaning towards rye and brassicas but worry that may be too late for brassicas.

I feel like I am getting closer to my desired results but still not quite there! Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[westonwhitetail]

This is my go-to. RR beans in the spring, then overseed with Brassicas end July/August after spraying with gly, and then I sometimes overseed rye late summer as well.

I generally don't think a fence is needed, at least for my needs/wants.. If the plot is too small and they get over browsed, I overseed with brassicas mid summer. I do not get great pod production in this case but they have the brassicas, turnips and radish bulbs to forage on in the winter instead. Some years if the plot is larger enough or there are other ag beans nearby to take the browse pressure off, the beans do really well. Then I skip mid summer brassicas and just do a late summer planting of rye/radish/peas. In these years I do get the pod production for cold weather food.

This year I plan to add some annual clover and med. red clover to the brassica or rye plantings for some more variety and have some nutrition come back for the spring.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

5 acres of soybeans is quite a bit, but if your beans have to compete with weeds and deer they might have problems. I'd agree with the recommendation from Weston, but I'd add that you might want to go with a little higher seeding rate with the soybeans to both compensate for deer damage and to choke off weeds. Spray the plots 4 weeks after planting and then another 4-6 weeks later. Then after that second spraying, you can overseed with whatever mix you want.

I have sandy soil, but I've had decent luck overseeding winter rye if I time it before a good rain. I don't have a no-till drill, so I just broadcast the seed in the standing soybeans and hope for the best. I think this year I'll add some brassica to the rye just to give it a little variety.

 

[Binney59]

This is my go-to. RR beans in the spring, then overseed with Brassicas end July/August after spraying with gly, and then I sometimes overseed rye late summer as well.

I generally don't think a fence is needed, at least for my needs/wants.. If the plot is too small and they get over browsed, I overseed with brassicas mid summer. I do not get great pod production in this case but they have the brassicas, turnips and radish bulbs to forage on in the winter instead. Some years if the plot is larger enough or there are other ag beans nearby to take the browse pressure off, the beans do really well. Then I skip mid summer brassicas and just do a late summer planting of rye/radish/peas. In these years I do get the pod production for cold weather food.

This year I plan to add some annual clover and med. red clover to the brassica or rye plantings for some more variety and have some nutrition come back for the spring.

Do you drill in your fall planting or broadcast? Do your fields get more activity on years when you plant brassicas mid summer vs when you plant them late summer? I definitely know that I want to go heavy on the rye for weed suppression the next year but haven't decided on timing and method to ensure good results from my fall planting.

 

[Diesel5610]

I am doing a couple different things this season. Some plots in the release system and some doing it with beans and then a fall mix drilled in. These bean plots have a marestail problem so I am using enlist beans to try and get it under control. This youtube video shows what you are discussing and they drilled into the beans, which is what I am going to try,

 

[Binney59]

I watched that video, along with most of Grant Woods, and think that it looks pretty great. My main concern is that the shape of my fields (long and irregular) means plenty of turns and driving over the same spots which I am worried will really crush the beans. They claim that a majority of the beans pop back up so I am leaning towards this method as well. Thanks

 

[westonwhitetail]

Do you drill in your fall planting or broadcast? Do your fields get more activity on years when you plant brassicas mid summer vs when you plant them late summer? I definitely know that I want to go heavy on the rye for weed suppression the next year but haven't decided on timing and method to ensure good results from my fall planting.

I broadcast everything with an ATV, so crushing the beans is not an issue for me. I don't notice a huge difference in usage either way, either method works. Planting time many times is dictated by weather. If its too dry mid summer, I usually just wait until there's good rain in the forecast.

 

[Westwind]

Watched the video above. Any thoughts on why buckwheat is included in the mix? It is only 4% but i figure there is a reason it is included.

 

[gunther89]

We always broadcast rye into standing beans when the leaves start to turn yellow. We always have a good stand of rye the following spring. You shouldn't have any issues broadcasting as long as you get some rain within a week or so.

 

[omicron1792]

Watched the video above. Any thoughts on why buckwheat is included in the mix? It is only 4% but i figure there is a reason it is included.

It’s known as a great crop in mix. Terminates easily and mines phosphorus for the next crop.

 

[Wild Thing]

It’s known as a great crop in mix. Terminates easily and mines phosphorus for the next crop.

Yep - Buckwheat equals Phosphorous....Phosphorous equals Antlers

 

[Wild Thing]

I watched that video, along with most of Grant Woods, and think that it looks pretty great. My main concern is that the shape of my fields (long and irregular) means plenty of turns and driving over the same spots which I am worried will really crush the beans. They claim that a majority of the beans pop back up so I am leaning towards this method as well. Thanks

I have drilled through beans with little to no issues...not as tall as the beans in the video but beans like this that had already been hammered by the deer:






If your beans look like this inside the cage you didn't plant enough acreage...you have too many deer.....or both.


My goal for soy beans with a relatively high deer density is 210,000 seeds per acre. Beans are packaged at 140,000 seeds per bag so....1 1/2 bags per acre.

E-Fence works well on small plots...

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I have 5 acres (3 acre and 2 acre fields) in Central Wisconsin with a high deer density and some commercial ag in the area. I am fortunate to have a 5' genesis drill and roller crimper with my end goal to always have something growing in my plots (buffalo system/release method).

Two years ago I planted forage beans and they got heavily browsed which prevented a canopy from keeping weeds at bay. The deer wiped out most of the beans and the pods that I did get were filled with undeveloped beans. I broadcasted rye into the beans but weeds continued to be an issue and I did not have a good stand of rye the following spring. On to plan B.

Last year I switched to Green Cover Seeds summer blend and then drilled in their fall release but did not have ideal results. My summer blend seemed to have a lot of weeds and only the brassicas seemed to do well. The fall blend never really took off but again, I was dealing with a lot of weeds due to poor coverage from the summer blend. I am not sure that our growing season has enough time to fully implement two plantings of Green Cover's blends- that's my hunch anyway. On to plan C.

This year I am planning on planting RR ag beans and fencing them off. I would like to either drill in or broadcast rye into the stand this fall to suppress weeds in the spring and offer additional food this fall. I will also include some other fall plants but have not decided which are best.

For those who have successfully implemented this system, do you recommend broadcasting your fall planting as the beans leave start to yellow or would you run a drill through the beans? Does anyone have any fall blends that they like? Leaning towards rye and brassicas but worry that may be too late for brassicas.

I feel like I am getting closer to my desired results but still not quite there! Thanks in advance for any help!

Is there a pre emergent herbicide that would work with your spring planting to help battle the weed problem?

Maybe consider roundup application before or after crimping to take out weeds that don't crimp well. After a few years of spraying before or after you crimp prior to your fall planting should start to keep the weeds at bay enough to get a better stand that will shade out the weeds.

Maybe consider adding an additional 25# of winter rye to your fall mix or increase the percentage of brassica to help with quick canopy.

I have a plot that I have been crimping the past couple of years and I still have a weed problem. I am gong to nuke the shit out of it this spring and do a 100#/acre of buckwheat mixed with an annual clover.

If weeds are still an issue I will be treating with GLY after seeding and crimping for my fall plots. Should work.

 

[Westwind]

@omicron1792 and @Wild Thing

That makes sense and I’m glad I asked the question! I happen to have a little buckwheat seed on hand. I'm going to overseed a little into the plots I already planted so my soil can reap this benefit!

 

[Brian662]

Have you been able to even use your crimper yet? If you aren't getting the biomass needed, having that crimper sit idle must be tough to see?

It feels like you could start the process right this fall with 150# of rye/acre so that next spring you get a flush mat of rye and that should choke out your weeds. At least that's what I would do.

 

[Binney59]

Have you been able to even use your crimper yet? If you aren't getting the biomass needed, having that crimper sit idle must be tough to see?

It feels like you could start the process right this fall with 150# of rye/acre so that next spring you get a flush mat of rye and that should choke out your weeds. At least that's what I would do.

I used it last year and it worked great on one plot but not nearly as well on my other two plots ( 2 and 3 acres). You are correct though, it is hard to have such a specialized, and expensive, piece of equipment sitting idle but I made the decision that this is the route I want to go and understand that there will be a learning curve with it. Steel seems to never get cheaper so I had someone fab my crimper which saved me some compared to a goliath crimper. I could put in food plots for hire with a drill and crimper but am not sure if I want to deal with the headaches and other peoples expectations!

I will certainly be going heavy on rye this fall and was thinking something near 150# per acre as long as that does not completely choke out brassicas.

 

[Brian662]

I used it last year and it worked great on one plot but not nearly as well on my other two plots ( 2 and 3 acres). You are correct though, it is hard to have such a specialized, and expensive, piece of equipment sitting idle but I made the decision that this is the route I want to go and understand that there will be a learning curve with it. Steel seems to never get cheaper so I had someone fab my crimper which saved me some compared to a goliath crimper. I could put in food plots for hire with a drill and crimper but am not sure if I want to deal with the headaches and other peoples expectations!

I will certainly be going heavy on rye this fall and was thinking something near 150# per acre as long as that does not completely choke out brassicas.

In my experience, if you broadcast rye about a month after planting brassicas, you'll have the best results. It'll fill in the voids and the rye can grow slowly in the shade provided by the brassicas.