Has anyone tried drilling beans into standing corn stalks?

[Wild Thing]

A while back, somebody on the old QDMA forum suggested that you could drill beans into standing corn stalks if you had a heavy no-till drill. I finally purchased a 606NT drill last year and plan to rotate my beans and corn this year. I just leave my corn standing for the deer and turkeys all winter. Prior to buying the drill I would chop the corn stalks with my brush hog (don't have a chopper) and then make several passes over it with the field cultivator and disc to incorporate the residue into the soil as best I could. I don't plan to turn the dirt anymore if I don't have to so if it is possible to just plant over the standing corn stalks I am all for it.

Just wondering if anyone here has actually done it and what the results were??

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

It is possible to get some beans to grow in the corn stalks but you will not be as happy with the results as you would if you eliminated some of the stalks. They will have a tendency to ball up your drill and can get frustrating. If you could burn or run a disc over it a coupe times I think you would be happier with results.

 

[cutman]

I bush hogged my corn last year (after it was knocked down by the hurricane), then drilled rye into the stubble in November. It worked perfectly. I plan to plant beans into the rye in May. My drill is a GP 706NT, so basically the same as yours.

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

Cutman do you think you were more successful due to the fact that you mowed it down early and gave it time to rot before drilling? Just curious as to how it would work on a few different applications extremely thick brushy areas etc. I would guess if I mowed in the late fall and allowed thatch to rot it would probably work for me but couldn't imagine pulling a drill through it as it sits right now.

 

[cutman]

I think I waited a month between mowing and drilling. I just checked the field yesterday and there is still a ton of corn debris on the ground...it doesn't look like it has begun to decompose at all.

BUT I'm sure my pathetic SC corn is not nearly as dense as midwestern corn crops. You probably have significantly more plant material to deal with.

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

I think I waited a month between mowing and drilling. I just checked the field yesterday and there is still a ton of corn debris on the ground...it doesn't look like it has begun to decompose at all.

BUT I'm sure my pathetic SC corn is not nearly as dense as midwestern corn crops. You probably have significantly more plant material to deal with.

That is probably true too. The stalks are more than likely considerably thicker. We had a very mild winter so far so I doubt we had things decompose like in the normal year. It has been crazy warm temps the farmers were actually in fields over the last few days working ground, spreading lime and even shooting anhydrous.

 

[Smallplot]

The key in drilling into corn stalks is drilling the beans when the stalks are bone dry! Don't matter what is there with the GP NT series, you will slice through the stalks and the beans will get under the ground where they will grow. You will knock down the corn as you drill so you will not have to worry about the canopy as it will hit the ground and what stays up will create very limited loss of sunlight to effect your beans while young. Just don't put your beans to deep and do not try to mud them in.


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[Wild Thing]

Thanks Dan. Do you think I will need extra weight on the drill? I did order it with the weight brackets - just waiting to find some suitcase weights for something less than $1/pound. Last year I planted everything without any added weight but much of what I planted was into cultivated soil. My drill is the 606NT pull behind model - not the 3 Pt.

 

[Smallplot]

Thanks Dan. Do you think I will need extra weight on the drill? I did order it with the weight brackets - just waiting to find some suitcase weights for something less than $1/pound. Last year I planted everything without any added weight but much of what I planted was into cultivated soil. My drill is the 606NT pull behind model - not the 3 Pt.

You shouldn't. Plant when soil moisture is good, not too wet and not too dry. As long as the stalks are dry you should have no issues cutting them with your colters.


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[Bullwinkle]

We are going try it this year

 

[swat1018]

Like Dan said, it's a non-issue. I've done it several times.

 

[Wild Thing]

That does it ... we'll give it a go this year. Thanks for the input guys.