help with soybean food plot

[cmax]

Looking for some help for anyone who has planted soybeans as a food plot. I am trying to plan a planting for this year. I know if I plant beans in the fall they will likely get hit by the frost and may not last long as a winter plot here in the north. If I plant in the spring will the deer hit the beans even in the winter after they have turned brown and dried and has anyone had much success with this?

[Landguy]

We've put them out in the spring & the deer flat out tore them up. We didn't have a large enough plot. (about a half acre) By fall the only thing we had was stubs.[img]smileys/smiley17.gif[/img] We plowed it under and planted wheat. Soybeans are great if you can put out enough. We just didn't have enough room.

[Bob S]

Here is a good discussion from Michigan-sportsman on Round Up ready soy beans.

Michigan-sportsman.com: RR soy beans

[Thayer.qdma]

You will probably need a fall plot overseeded in your soybean plot, maybe try some corn in the plot, it will provide a great fall draw. Soy beans will be a great summer plot and if you can throw in some milo or corn that will keep the plot thriving thru to the late fall. What size is your plot? Most soybean plot will need to be 2 acres or alot bigger, overgrazing becomes a real problem on smaller plots, if it is a smaller plot like mine, I will be trying Lablab with a clover mix to help keep up with the hungry critters.

[4x4man514]

what is the deal with RR soybeans?are they different from regular soybeans?if so,how?thanks,kevin.

[Thayer.qdma]

From what I know, the genetics that is usually killed by roundup or other weed killers is taken out of the RR soybean or corn and you are able to apply your weedkiller without harming the plants. I used some last year to start a plot, they didn't grow to their third leaf but that could have been from poor soil, overgrazing, or whatever. We disced (?sp) up the plot in late fall and put out the clover and an annual mix and this is what we had:

[cmax]

My plot is about 2.5 acres in a rectangle surrounded by a creek and my wooded sanctuary. I am planning on either putting beans or corn, just havent decided yet. Appreciate the info on the round up ready beans out of michingan, it really helped to answer a lot of my questions
Thanks

[MNQDMer]

I have planted Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans two years. I will agree you should have at least 3 to 5 acres depending on the deer population. The deer have fed on my May 15 planted plots all summer. The beans only got to about 8" high because the tops were constantly eaten off as they grew. each plant developed about 5 pods that matured late september and when rifle season came around in November the deer were feeding on the bean seed. Another neighbor had a larger plot and the deer still fed on them but they got taller and produced more beans because it was a larger plot for the number of deer.

The RR variety are a must for me because I have tried others and it is more expensive and harder to control weeds without the RR. The RR are genetically "engineered" (bred) to have resistance to Roundup herbicide. I spray mine as soon as the weeds are about 2" high and it cleans them up real nice. If a second crop of weeds or grasses germinate you can spay a second time.

I use a high seeding rate because the deer brouse on them and they do not cover well if seeded at conventional rates. I plant about 2 bushels per acre. If you have lighter brousing pressure you can likely get by on the conventional rates about 1 bu/a

This year I am planning a 5 acre planted May 15th and another 2 acre late planted (July 15)for forage during the Sept Oct area. The early planted beans are getting a bit dried out by late Sept and into Oct. In addition I will have a late planted mixed seed forage plot. I will also put in my normal corn plots for winter feed.

[THETOOLMAN]

soy beans grow great in ga.. round up ready soybeans I tryed last year. regular soys when a deer nipps the bud it kills the plant.. rr soys fork and make a better bush!!! the deer LOVE THEM!!!! when they make beans I turn them under and they sprout back up!!!

[Swamp_Ghost]

Plant RR soys, fertilize them according to test recommendations and watch the deer pile in!

Spray them 4 weeks after you plant.

I planted these in late May. I am in Coldwater, MI.

They will still hit them in winter.

Plant as much of these as you can make room for. I tilled under both sides of the plot in August and left the soys sandwiched between a plot of Buck forage oats and turnips. I wished I had left the plot as it was. Live and learn.