What to do with my soybeans- advice please

[PRK]

I planted about 2 acreas of RR soybeans this spring thinking I would have a summer food source that the deer would have mowed down by July. The plan was to lightly disc under the stems, hopefully improving the soil, and plat brassicas. The beans are growing and the deer are nipping off some go the tops but aren't close to keeping up with the growth. It's been sprayed and is basically a weed free soybean patch. Now I'm thinking I should just broadcast brassicas into the beans. What do you think?

 

[Steve Oehlenschlager]

I would keep them clean and pure. I just don't like wrecking or hurting a good thing. Now winter rye planted in your beans in late August would provide some additional forage options and not hurt your soybean yields as much as brassicas would. A good yielding soybean field is a deer magnet.

 

[dipper]

I know everyone knows my response, but I'll chime in anyway. Based on your explanation, I sense you have experience will deer destroying your plots before you want them too. Steve does not appear to be up on our progressive ways :)
The food plotters yield doesn't fall under the samedefinition as a farmers. Broadcasting your seed now will have little impact to your soybean growth. Whatever you decide to broadcast will not be overpowered by the rye or whatever crop you broadcast. The broadcasted plant isn't going to really thrive until the beans dry down or are wiped out by deer. Kinda like releasing a mature woods....
I've been managing this way for a few years now and have been in some heated battles with the conventional mind. Many of use can relate to this, that an over browsed plot is one of the most common examples of a failed plot. I've yet to hear anyone complain their follow up plants got too big and the deer avoided the plot all together. Not saying it couldn't happen.....just saying
I just thought of marketing a new bob seed, called food plot insurance, what do you guys think ?

 

[Terrific_tom]

I planted about 2 acreas of RR soybeans this spring thinking I would have a summer food source that the deer would have mowed down by July. The plan was to lightly disc under the stems, hopefully improving the soil, and plat brassicas. The beans are growing and the deer are nipping off some go the tops but aren't close to keeping up with the growth. It's been sprayed and is basically a weed free soybean patch. Now I'm thinking I should just broadcast brassicas into the beans. What do you think?

It is obvious that your deer numbers are down with the little browse that you have on your beans so I doubt that the deer are going to browse all your beans off before they mature, unlike Dipper who has some of the highest dpsm in the state of Wisconsin so you have some options. You could do as Steve suggested or as Dipper suggested. What are your plans for the plot next year? If you are planning on planting in beans again I would go with broadcasting the brassicas but at a lower rate so as not to choke out the beans this will leave you a fairly clean plot for planting next spring. If your plans are to turn it into a perenial plot you could broadcast a clover mix along with some rye and have a very nice clover plot come next spring. From my own experience I have never had much success with broadcasting any thing into my soybeans until they started drying down, but that may be because I broadcast plant my beans to the heavy side and there isn't any bare dirt exposed to sun light until they start drying down. Let us know what you decide.

 

[PRK]

Thanks guys. It's only my 2nd year plotting so I have very little experience with this. The soy isn't heavily planted with a lot of exposed dirt at present. Next to the largest soy plot I have growing a rye/ oats combo seeded with clover that plan to turn into a perennial clover plot next year. My plans for the other 3 plots are to follow the LC approach of alternating brassicas and a cereal grain mix. I think I will take both advice this year and keep one plot pure soy beans and broadcast brassicas into the other 2 soy bean plots. If the soy plot gets eaten down this summer I'll seed some rye in this August. Sound like a reasonable plan?

 

[sandbur]

PRK-I suspect your weather has been like my weather about 100 plus miles to the south. with all of the wet weather, there is lots of lush growth in the woods.
I suspect winter hit your deer numbers hard and excess doe permits hit my herd hard. I can often grow 1 acre bean plots without much pressure.

I think you have a good answer. Try both ways and get some pictures for us.

 

[dipper]

Creative managment doesn't just stop and end with deer influencing the outcome of a plot. There are many factors that can minimize success. Drought, Excessive moisture, intensive grass and weed competition just to name a few. My deer density has little to do with my food plot approach, time is and effort are two of the biggest ones. Soil moisture retention is criticial for me.
However, Tom is correct. I have found a way to extend relevance of small sized plots into March, with an overpopulation of deer.
I didn't invent these practices, I've adopted them by cover croppers, and commercial vegetable growers. All the things I do in my food plots I do in my personal garden. Almost all the plants in my garden grow with clover. My 2.5' beans have overtaken the clover they are growing in as we speak. The clover has virtually no impact to my bean yield. Over time, it increases it. I hardly ever water it, and never weed it. The clover does that job for me.
There are many ways to skin a cat, some are more efficient than others. Have fun with it.

 

[Steve Oehlenschlager]

My experience planting food has taught me that the more I try for larger yields the more successful they have been. I have virtually zero crops within a few miles of my farm. The more I can produce the more deer I attract. I think more people would do well with 2 acres if well managed plots than 5 acres of so so. The more you actually read about what actually effects yields on your crops the more you want them weed free. Granted not everyone has a job that gives you hundreds of hours a year reading scientific papers on growing crops!

 

[dipper]

My experience planting food has taught me that the more I try for larger yields the more successful they have been. I have virtually zero crops within a few miles of my farm. The more I can produce the more deer I attract. I think more people would do well with 2 acres if well managed plots than 5 acres of so so. The more you actually read about what actually effects yields on your crops the more you want them weed free. Granted not everyone has a job that gives you hundreds of hours a year reading scientific papers on growing crops!

You are correct, PRK isn't planning on planting weeds (which many of us are finding to be attractive to deer). He is planning on planting a widely accepted plant that food plotters all over the country are planting. The "yield" (if we want to call it that) from the brassicas will complement his beans nicely. He will basically have his bean "yield" and whatever additional brassica "yield".
If he is confident his beans are going to be 3' tall and produce loads of....."yield", don't bother. If his beans need to be fenced like the majority, I strongly advise to reconsider. (I guess my suggestions saves $ too, heard solar electric fences can get pricey, along with taking the time to set up/ maintain).
Moving on, PRK, I would strongly suggest not discing that plot what so ever. You don't want to harm the beans you have. Discing them no matter how slight, will kill them. You are already weed free, and your soil is exposed. Brassicas are one of the easiest seeds to germinate, and grow while broadcasting. No need to drag either. I would also add some cereal like rye, wheat and oats.

 

[dipper]

Prk-as it been stated this is the yield I crank out on a 1 acre plot at the end of February with an insane deer density. In the mean time, there's been some great hunting around these spots.

 

[SD51555]

PRK-I suspect your weather has been like my weather about 100 plus miles to the south. with all of the wet weather, there is lots of lush growth in the woods.
I suspect winter hit your deer numbers hard and excess doe permits hit my herd hard. I can often grow 1 acre bean plots without much pressure.

I think you have a good answer. Try both ways and get some pictures for us.

I could not agree more. Our property looked like a jungle this weekend. The deer are definitely not keeping up with the amount of fresh browse out there like they used to. Of my red osier dogwoods that I could find, only about half of them had been nipped by the deer.