Forage Soybean

[Robert_in_NY]

Has anyone planted forage soybean for a food plot? I have seen it advertised and was curious what everyones thoughts were on it. I have planted soybean before and the deer love it but they keep it ate down pretty well. The forage soybean I saw is suppose to grow to 5-7 feet tall. I am thinking of buying some to try on a small food plot near my tower but would still like to hear some pros and cons from others.

The main critters I am wanting to help out with the food plots are whitetail deer and turkey and any other game birds that may pass through.

 

[Sterff]

Is this what your talking about? Eagle Seed Varieties

I have always wondered about them myself. I was think of planting an acre of them myself this year.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Is this what your talking about? Eagle Seed Varieties

I have always wondered about them myself. I was think of planting an acre of them myself this year.

Yes it is. I'm thinking of planting a half acre plot that I have been planting corn on. If it does good it may be a great rotation crop for the food plots.

 

[Baranx4]

I've planted eagle beans the past two years. First year I purchased local and ended up with a varietyy that wasn't my first choice. Second year I purchased directly through eagle beans but got what I wanted. It's a hassle ordering directly as it's a roundup product so you have to register yourself with Monstanto and get what seemed to be a background and credit check. It seemed more as fraud protection for them.

I mix mine with regular roundup ag beans I get from PF and ended up planting around 4.5 acres. With mixing it with local available ag beans your getting pods for rifle season. I have a heavy deer population so they hit the beans hard. Eagle seem to handle the brouse better. I overseed areas hit hard around labor day with winter rye and oats. Last year I overseeded when I planted my brassicas in August. Some people put up fences to keep out the initial brouse but I can't justify the cost.

Good luck with your choice. Unless you had soybeans that were innoculated in the past year, pickup an extra bag to mix in as it doesn't hurt. What's five dollars when your spending 100 for the beans. I had good luck with Dual Mag as my pre-emergent herbicide and only sprayed once before the canopy covered over well.

 

[hrcarver]

A half acre is cutting it awful close even for forage beans. I tried to kill them by putting them in a 3/4 acre plot... they lived.

Early season (guarded by plot saver for a few weeks).

Later in the summer, hurt but not dead. Ag beans would have been dead months ago.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

A half acre is cutting it awful close even for forage beans. I tried to kill them by putting them in a 3/4 acre plot... they lived.

Early season (guarded by plot saver for a few weeks).

Later in the summer, hurt but not dead. Ag beans would have been dead months ago.

I was thinking half acre because that is the size of the plot where I wanted to put it. In all we plant around 20 acres of food plots so it wouldn't be the only source. I could plant another half acre plot in another area since the seed comes bagged to plant an acre. It won't hurt anything but I don't like planting too much of something new, I like to plant smaller plots and see how it does then expand it the next year if it does well.

We don't have a huge amount of deer and turkeys here anymore. There are so many major roads in this area that the state has issued more permits in this area then all of the other WMU's. So our deer population has been cut down drastically in order to keep the amount of car/deer collisions down.

 

[hrcarver]

In all we plant around 20 acres of food plots so it wouldn't be the only source.

Just wait, it will be.:laughing:

 

[Sterff]

So where can you buy these? I guess I need to fill out a form from Monsanto?

 

[hrcarver]

I never have for food plot seed, but I have signed an agreement for ag beans. Some dealers may request that you do for bigger orders. Its really not a big deal.

Here's a list of eagle dealers.

 

[Sterff]

I never have for food plot seed, but I have signed an agreement for ag beans. Some dealers may request that you do for bigger orders. Its really not a big deal.

Here's a list of eagle dealers.

Ok thanks. Which variety did you plant? The large lad or big fellow? Also what row spacing did you plant at. I can set my corn planter to 15" rows I believe.