soybean help

[Powder]

I know this thread may open a can of worms but I need help picking the right soybean. My deer population is low and the main goal is for pod production. Keep in mind I have a short growing season being in northern MN.

Any thoughts on a variety and where I can order them from?

 

[buckdeer1]

Check with your local ag seed dealer unless you are going with something like real world

 

[yoderjac]

Check with your local ag seed dealer unless you are going with something like real world

I concur. With those objectives, you are trying to do the same thing as local farmers; ag beans are the right class. There is not a huge difference between varieties of ag beans from a food plotters perspective with a given maturity group. I would go to the local coop. They will generally carry the right maturity group for your area. I would not sweat it too much.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Tap]

You may want to look at the Welters Seed site.
They offer several varieties of beans...conventional, RR and Liberty. Not sure if they have forage beans, but it sounds like you are not looking for forage varieties.


W. Pa.

 

[j-bird]

Even in MN they grow soybeans for pods in agriculture. Go to your local seed co-op and they will be able to help you select the proper maturity bean. Ag beans are typically grown for pod production so that should be right in line with what you are after. The "maturity type" of the bean affects it's growing season length and the further north you go the shorter it gets. This is why a local co-op will have the best options for you. They should be able to offer RR and non-RR as well if that is important to you.

I simply offer to help clean out the drill or planter when the farmer is done if I can have the leftover seed - and that is what I plant. I too have low deer numbers, but my growing season is vastly different than yours. Seed co-ops are also a great source for free or discounted seed if bags are busted or they have trial seed .....once all the local farmers are done planting.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I would go with a longer maturing bean than the local co-ops are going to suggest. The thing to consider is that your local farmers are harvesting their crop in late september, early october. They dont care if the pods are going to split open in november/december because they will be harvested by then. The longer the maturity date the longer the pods are going to stay together. However if it is to long maturing the beans might not develop enough before frost takes them out. I have learned this the hard way when going with local ag beans.

 

[Mortenson]

^ Up that far north farmers are probably planting group 0.0's but maybe you can stretch it out to a 0.5 and get a little more "yield" in your plot. Agree with looking to coops and dealers for returned units. The problem with that tho is that it might tend to be towards the end of planting season.

 

[j-bird]

Not trying to talk you out of it, but the nice part about having beans that are dry sooner is that you may (or may not) have an opportunity to overseed cereal grains and small seeded brassica into them to add additional diversity and tonnage to your plot. I do this in my area. Those beans are dry and ready to harvest by october first and I walk the rows with a broadcast spreader with rye, wheat, oats and some turnips and radish and with some rain I start to get green food growing. not sure if you will have that opportunity in MN - but it's something to look into/consider. Some will do this when the beans begin to yellow - since this tends to soon lead to more sunlight on the ground to facilitate germination of the new seed. I will also tell you that if you run a disc over part of that plot those pods will become fresh young soybeans and deer candy! What the deer don;t eat the frost will kill, but it can be a great early season draw - until the deer wipe them out. Just options.

 

[Powder]

^^^That was my intent. I'm hoping there will be time to over seed wr. That way I'll have the new green growth wr with soybean pods in the fall and then wr will come up right away the next spring. I'd let the wr grow and terminate in late June and plant brassicas for the following summer/fall. The soybeans should be a good complement to the brassicas so I don't need to fertilize. The two main questions are: will the beans be done growing in time to allow wr to grow and how long does wr need to be growing in the fall in order to establish itself for early spring growth.

 

[j-bird]

I don't know the answers to your questions, but I will tell you that the rye will grow in the coldest temps, so you will have that going for you. The co-op may be able to provide some answers to your questions as well. in my area farmers tend to plant cereal grains as soon as the soybeans are harvested so if you sort of follow the same plan - broadcast when the leaves are yellow and one would suspect that you would have ample time for rye to germinate and establish - as long as you get the needed weather. Rye tends to be fairly cheap so it's worth a shot! You may want to reach out to some of the others on here from up Nort and see what works for them.

 

[scott44]

Rye grows down to 34 deg.

 

[buckdeer1]

Most of the COOPs I know of don't sell seed,they will be able to put you in contact with any local seed dealers

 

[Nova]

Powder, if you are a MDHA(MN deer hunter assoc)member you can order ag beans from them right now. They are left overs/seconds, but I have been using them for years in central MN and they have been great. At $10 a 50lb bag for RR beans you can't go wrong!

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Powder, if you are a MDHA(MN deer hunter assoc)member you can order ag beans from them right now. They are left overs/seconds, but I have been using them for years in central MN and they have been great. At $10 a 50lb bag for RR beans you can't go wrong!

That is what I have also done. The problem I had this past season is that the pods cracked open and the beans fell to the ground. I cant remember the exact dates i broadcast my WR into the standing beans. It grew but it didn't get all that tall. Maybe only 3" and it wasn't because of browse pressure. Now that I think of it, I know I broadcast the second layer of WR on opening weekend of archery season.

Nova, do you know if MDHA beans are all RR? I wasn't able to get conformation on that. I'm assuming that if you are using them you more than likely sprayed them. That is good to know.

 

[Nova]

That is what I have also done. The problem I had this past season is that the pods cracked open and the beans fell to the ground. I cant remember the exact dates i broadcast my WR into the standing beans. It grew but it didn't get all that tall. Maybe only 3" and it wasn't because of browse pressure. Now that I think of it, I know I broadcast the second layer of WR on opening weekend of archery season.

Nova, do you know if MDHA beans are all RR? I wasn't able to get conformation on that. I'm assuming that if you are using them you more than likely sprayed them. That is good to know.

Yes, they are all RR beans. Been using them and spraying with gly for years.

 

[bueller]

^^^That was my intent. I'm hoping there will be time to over seed wr. That way I'll have the new green growth wr with soybean pods in the fall and then wr will come up right away the next spring. I'd let the wr grow and terminate in late June and plant brassicas for the following summer/fall. The soybeans should be a good complement to the brassicas so I don't need to fertilize. The two main questions are: will the beans be done growing in time to allow wr to grow and how long does wr need to be growing in the fall in order to establish itself for early spring growth.

I like to seed WR no later than labor day here in central WI for attractiveness during the fall hunting seasons. However we have seeded WR as late as Sept. 20th or so and while it stayed low to the ground that fall it produced a fine crop the following spring.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Yes, they are all RR beans. Been using them and spraying with gly for years.

thanks!!

 

[Mortenson]

I wouldn't assume your brassicas won't need a shot of N just because you have beans growing the previous year. I'm pretty sure the beans aren't leaving N in your plot unless a good amount of beans and stover get left behind.

 

[Powder]

Good to know about the MDHA. Thanks for sharing that.

If the pods open the beans fall to the ground will the deer still eat them?

 

[FarmerDan]

Good to know about the MDHA. Thanks for sharing that.

If the pods open the beans fall to the ground will the deer still eat them?

It depends. I'm of the opinion soybeans aren't high on a deer's preferred list...but sometimes they don't find what they prefer! So, if they are hungry, yes they will. After we pick our 'beans there are plenty left on the ground and deer seem to at least like looking at them!