FarmerDan
5 year old buck +
I have a lot of trouble when I think about soybean seed types and varities for food plots. Production 'beans are easy. Buy what yields best. But food plot objetives are so diverse. The answers are scattered about thru many posts. So, while we endure a couple more weeks of winter I thought it might be a good time to ponder the subject. My question is why you do what you do when it comes to food plot beans and how you make a buying decision about what type of soybean seed you buy. Is it price? Availability? Do you like forage over ag beans? Do you consider the group designation? Where do you buy your bean seed? Online? Local coop?
Here are some things I struggle with. I think I want forage. There's argument made that deer don't eat or prefer the pods after plant leaf drop. But at my place they do eat the pods. They are gone by the end of winter - and there's plenty of other food choices. I did forage beans once and I'm up in the air about it.
Like the rest of you it's a challenge for me to get good forage growth because a couple deer seem to be unable to leave the young plants alone. Fence? I'm not going to the expense. I have seen, if I can believe my eyes, that if I plant into small grain stubble some of the attraction is removed. My only explanation is deer don't like to stick their noses into that sharp stubble! And, it would seem like if I wait until the weeds overtake the bean plants and then spray (gly) I end up with a better crop. Truth or myth? Short of a fence, any other ideas?
And a final question. Has anyone tried a goup NOT reommended for their latitude? Some explanation required. There are determinant and indeterminant soybeans. It has everything to do with flowering. Flowering ends vegative growth when the variety is determinante. Indeterminatne's flower AND continue vegative growth. They both have their places. I just don't know where my place is. I have more on that subject but I guess I'll leave my question there. Have you knowlingly tried one over the other?
Maybe all of this doesn't matter. But I think it a worthy subject to toss around - at least until the soil warms up!
Speaking of which - this soil temp map is in about it's seventh incarnation. I like it - now! Hows that disclaimer go? Your results may not be....
https://www.greencastonline.com/tools/soil-temperature
Here are some things I struggle with. I think I want forage. There's argument made that deer don't eat or prefer the pods after plant leaf drop. But at my place they do eat the pods. They are gone by the end of winter - and there's plenty of other food choices. I did forage beans once and I'm up in the air about it.
Like the rest of you it's a challenge for me to get good forage growth because a couple deer seem to be unable to leave the young plants alone. Fence? I'm not going to the expense. I have seen, if I can believe my eyes, that if I plant into small grain stubble some of the attraction is removed. My only explanation is deer don't like to stick their noses into that sharp stubble! And, it would seem like if I wait until the weeds overtake the bean plants and then spray (gly) I end up with a better crop. Truth or myth? Short of a fence, any other ideas?
And a final question. Has anyone tried a goup NOT reommended for their latitude? Some explanation required. There are determinant and indeterminant soybeans. It has everything to do with flowering. Flowering ends vegative growth when the variety is determinante. Indeterminatne's flower AND continue vegative growth. They both have their places. I just don't know where my place is. I have more on that subject but I guess I'll leave my question there. Have you knowlingly tried one over the other?
Maybe all of this doesn't matter. But I think it a worthy subject to toss around - at least until the soil warms up!
Speaking of which - this soil temp map is in about it's seventh incarnation. I like it - now! Hows that disclaimer go? Your results may not be....
https://www.greencastonline.com/tools/soil-temperature