Soy Beans or Iron Clay Peas

[useyourbow]

First off I wasn't going to plant a spring/summer plot because I thought the farmer was going to plant soy beans and figured why waste the money. My food plot is 2 acres of grown over field sandwiched between two large ag fields that I tilled under back in January. It turns out they planted cotton so now I am anxious to get something in the ground. I plan on only planting half of it so it can carry me into bow season and planting the other half in the fall. My question is "if" the deer don't eat them into the ground will broadcast soy beans yield a decent crop to leave standing for late season or should I just go with Iron Clay Peas because they will shoot out runners when nipped off?

Land is in eastern North Carolina.

 

[Jason Broom]

Two acres of food, surrounded by deer desert (cotton fields)? I wouldn't risk it with the soybeans, unless your deer density is pretty low.

 

[cutman]

Deer love cotton fields. I'm not sure which part of the plant they eat, but I would not count on the fields being deserts. Plant the entire 2 acres in cowpeas at 100 lb per acre, then plant LC mix in the fall.

 

[dogdoc]

I love both soybeans and cowpeas and have gone with soybeans just so I can spray with gly. If you are not needing to spray then I would plant peas with WGF sorghum. The peas will climb the sorghum and late fall/early winter when the peas are done the deer will feed on the seed heads of the sorghum.

 

[shawn cox]

Deer love cotton fields. I'm not sure which part of the plant they eat, but I would not count on the fields being deserts. Plant the entire 2 acres in cowpeas at 100 lb per acre, then plant LC mix in the fall.

yes people don't realize how much deer like cotton plants. I didn't think they liked them until I hunted one and witnessed them eating them. I went out and looked and was amazed at all the browsing.

 

[j-bird]

Like was stated it's going to depend on your deer numbers and other food sources in the area. I can easily plant 1/4 plots of soybeans.....but I am surrounded by 100's of acres of them as well with fairly low deer numbers to boot. I personally would lean toward RR soybeans simply due to weed control - I would plant the entire 2 acres with the intent to top seed in late summer cereal grains and brassica to get you some fall/winter green food as well. If the deer eat the beans to the ground - you then replant as a fall annual plant when the time comes.

 

[useyourbow]

Thanks for the feed back now another question. Going with soy beans. I intend on discing the field, I don't have a cultipacker but I do have a chain link fence drag. Question: On a prepared seed bed should I lightly disc the beans in or use the drag? I know recommended planting depth is an inch, don't want to go to deep but then again don't want the turkeys to get all of by soy bean seed either.

Do I need a inoculant?

 

[Baker]

Good luck with whatever you do. I don't think it will make any difference whether you choose peas or beans. I generally go with whichever is least expensive but that isn't an issue with such a small field.

One last comment on the cotton fields. Deer love cotton seed trash which is a very high quality feed high in protein and fat. I've been feeding it alongside protein pellets for years. Heres a pic showing the seed lint and all.

 

[Jason Broom]

Well, I have certainly learned something about the value of cotton for deer...is it ever planted for a food plot?

 

[Baker]

Well, I have certainly learned something about the value of cotton for deer...is it ever planted for a food plot?

Not that I know of but it is a common and popular feed in S. Texas and Mexico. Because of its fat content it is especially valuable for post rut recovery. I have cotton seed in every protein pen which gives 2 feeders per pen assuring everyone gets a meal regardless of position in hierarchy.

 

[Doctorbrady]

Thanks for the feed back now another question. Going with soy beans. I intend on discing the field, I don't have a cultipacker but I do have a chain link fence drag. Question: On a prepared seed bed should I lightly disc the beans in or use the drag? I know recommended planting depth is an inch, don't want to go to deep but then again don't want the turkeys to get all of by soy bean seed either.

Do I need a inoculant?

Lightly disc it in. An inoculant will give you better nitrogen credits but doesn't affect your current crop.

 

[dogdoc]

lightly disc in then drag to smooth it all out.

 

[Jason Broom]

I have been fortunate to have a cultipacker at my disposal for all but the very first year I put in food plots. Unless I had the money and equipment to buy a drill of some kind, I can't imagine doing plots without a cultipacker. This is especially important because a couple of our plots are on slight grades, where the mini rows created by the packer help reduce the risk of erosion. I couldn't plant peas or beans w/o a cultipacker, that's for sure.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Thanks for the feed back now another question. Going with soy beans. I intend on discing the field, I don't have a cultipacker but I do have a chain link fence drag. Question: On a prepared seed bed should I lightly disc the beans in or use the drag? I know recommended planting depth is an inch, don't want to go to deep but then again don't want the turkeys to get all of by soy bean seed either.

Do I need a inoculant?

Planting this late in drier conditions a little deeper than an inch would be good, I'd get them as deep as possible with the equipment that you have. Especially with turkeys around. Beans will do just fine at 1.5 to 2" deep. I'd set the disc to cut some decent grooves, plant, then drag. In an ideal setting the seed rolls into the disced furrows and gets covered. Uncovered bean seed won't grow. Definitely use inoculant, it's very cheap and will increase your yield.

 

[j-bird]

If you don't have a packer I would pack with ATV or lawnmower or even a small tractor by using just the tires. Yes, it's a pain, but it will help retain soil moisture and reduce the birds picking your plot clean of seed. This year I used a tiller - broadcasted and then simply drove over my plot with my tractor to push the seed in and pack and thus far it seems to have worked fine.

 

[Tap]

I experimented with cotton seed in feeders a few years ago. My deer wouldn't touch it. I ended up throwing 100 pounds of it away.

 

[DocHolladay]

I experimented with cotton seed in feeders a few years ago. My deer wouldn't touch it. I ended up throwing 100 pounds of it away.

We did the same thing at our lease. They wouldn't touch it, at first. It took them a month to eat 3/4 of it and we ended up throwing the rest out. They finished to off once it was on the ground. Haven't bought any since.

 

[Lewi B]

Definitely use inoculant, it's very cheap and will increase your yield.

Will be planting a soy, pea, sun hemp and sorghum mix with inoculant soon. Any suggestions on how to apply the inoculant?

 

[FarmerD]

You can sprinkle a little water on the soybeans, then add the innoculant. Then do the same for the peas in another bucket, then sunn hemp, etc., before you mix them all together, if that is what you are going to do.

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[FarmerD]

And just for reference. I believe sunn hemp uses the same inoculant as cowpeas