Ok Buck, I'm paying attention. How do you think Nitro Boost would perform on newly tilled old pasture? Does it provide a draw to Turkey's as well in your experience? And how do you terminate it for a fall planting and plant into for someone who doesn't own a drill?
Hi Luke -
I will say that the Carbon Load coming out of the ground in the Spring is a larger draw to Turkey due to the height, seed heads forming, etc. I don't turkey hunt but my one buddy does and the farm is loaded with birds - so my perception might be skewed. However, our customers seem to reiterate this experience.
As for the Spring/Summer planting of Nitro boost, I do think birds will be attracted to it, but it'll be more so later in the growth stage. As the varying levels of crops get out of the ground, it is a fantastic habitat for bugs—which turkeys love. I don't ever want to falsely promise something, so if your goal is to shoot birds over it, I would plant the CL in the Fall and let it mature through your turkey season. The clovers, grains, and bugs will be plentiful and attract many birds.
NB will perform very well in a newly tilled pasture. I'd like to look at a soil sample, as many times, these soils can need help from a base saturation balance perspective. This will not necessarily impact yield in year one, but in my experience, it can help with drought tolerance, weed suppression, aggregate structure, etc. The biggest issue you will fight with a summertime planting on a newly tilled field is weed competition. So, ideally, you would increase the seed rate to help with this potential issue. Ol pastures tend to have fescue, orchard grass, johnson grass, etc. This can be difficult to overcome, but not impossible. That comes down to the grower's goals and openness to herbicide, physical termination methods, or tillage to mitigate this weed pressure.
As for termination - there are several options.
1. When a field is relatively clean in NB, several just broadcast the carbon load before rain and walk away. The warm annuals naturally die off as the photoperiod shortens, and the cool-season annuals flourish.
2. light incorporation, then seed and pack
3. Broadcast and mow—This is a cool tool because when you have more sorghum and Sudan, studies have shown 8-10X root expansion, which can help most soils from a nutrient sequestration perspective and compaction breakup perspective.
4. Spray off the NB with gly and then Seed the fall Cabron load into it. Some then mow/roll after that to cover seed.
Thank you all for the opportunity to share some info. I do appreciate it.
I hope this is helpful.
Albert
