Has anyone planted "Forage Soybeans"?

Madsnooker

Senior Member
I've been reading about Forage soybeans for food plots which apparently grow larger with much more tonage per acre than conventional soybeans and they grow longer into the fall maturing later as well. Leaves are about the size of softballs. Deer love them and they are catching on fast with deer hunters according to what I have read. They are also available as roundup ready.

Anyone tried them or know what the cost is?
 

Buckfever

Senior Member
I've been planting them for around 4 years and have good results so far. During the severe drought times the growth was slower, but as soon as I got rain they would take off again. I've had them grow up to Thanksgiving here in south GA. I read on hear all the time about you shouldn't plant soybeans unless you can plant more than an acre, but I only plant 1 acre and have yet to have the deer wipe them out. I areas with high deer density I could see that happening. Prices vary from place to place, I've seen them from $75 to $110 a bag, but with the amount of browse they produce they're worth it IMO.
 

Madsnooker

Senior Member
I've been planting them for around 4 years and have good results so far. During the severe drought times the growth was slower, but as soon as I got rain they would take off again. I've had them grow up to Thanksgiving here in south GA. I read on hear all the time about you shouldn't plant soybeans unless you can plant more than an acre, but I only plant 1 acre and have yet to have the deer wipe them out. I areas with high deer density I could see that happening. Prices vary from place to place, I've seen them from $75 to $110 a bag, but with the amount of browse they produce they're worth it IMO.

When do you typically plant them?
 

Buckfever

Senior Member
I usually try to have them in the ground from May 15 th to June 15 th depending on, rain fall. Money is short for me this year, I may not get to plant any this year.
 

Madsnooker

Senior Member
I usually try to have them in the ground from May 15 th to June 15 th depending on, rain fall. Money is short for me this year, I may not get to plant any this year.

I hear ya on the money part!!!!

I would think planting as early as May 15th, they would be matured way before bow season and becoming much less palatable for the deer? I know they will eat the seed pods once they harden but I would like to have lush green plants during bow season.

Are you saying they will still be lush during September and the deer still hitting them hard?

Appreciate your info!
 

Buckfever

Senior Member
Mine usually are still palatable during bow season they have never matured as fast as regular soybeans they are usually still green when the regulars are turning yellow. You can wait till the 1st of July to plant, but then you will be taking a chance on it being very dry.
 

Madsnooker

Senior Member
10-4 thanks a bunch for your reply's.

I wish a few other that have used them would reply to let us know how they did but maybe your the only one.

I did get a pm from one other that had good results.
 

Buckfever

Senior Member
No problem at all. I just hope I can come up with the money to plant them again this year after they get through cutting timber, because I really like them as a food source over ICP's. If you can get them past about a foot high they are almost impossible for deer to over browse them, unless you have a very high deer population, or a drougt hits. Use the search button at the top of this page and type in "forage soybeans" you should find several threads about Eagle forage soybeans.
 

Mac

Senior Member
I planted a bag of Eagle last year alone side some RR ag beans.

The Eagle brand was 4 times the size of the ag beans. They stayed green up until frost. Looked like you took a hedge clipper to them.

I have 3 bags to plant this year. Cost was about $85 per bag
 

Forest Grump

Senior Member
Eagle Beans are FAR superior:

10-4 thanks a bunch for your reply's.

I wish a few other that have used them would reply to let us know how they did but maybe your the only one.

I did get a pm from one other that had good results.

There are 2 basic kinds of Forage Soybeans:

1: Tyrone, which (to my knowledge) is not roundup ready, & tends to be more available but less vigorous & less developed/selected than Eagle; they cost about double what ag beans cost.

2: Eagle Seed Forage soybeans. Eagle beans the last 2 years have run 73-75$/50 pounds (generally 3 X the cost of ag beans). They are Roundup Ready, which helps a lot with weed control in drought years. (in years with adequate rainfall, the beans will generally canopy so fast they will choke the weeds off). The leaf size for Eagle beans is huge: this gives the advantage that it takes fewer leaves to fill hungry bellies, so they are more browse tolerant. They also are indeterminate, & developed not to be day-length dependent, so they produce until frost (leaves & pods). The pods are shatter resistant, so they hold beans into winter (provided you plant enough acreage or protect them with electricity so that they can make beans).

Ag beans are developed to mature (based on decreasing daylength) all at the same time, shatter easily, be short, & put most of their energy into producing beans. So any beans left in the field are on the ground & ruined by winter. When soybeans yellow, deer (even in the Midwest) stop eating them. They will come back to them in late season. But we mostly grow soybeans for the leaves; which forage types have in abundance. You want them to stay green & keep putting on new leaves as the old ones are picked off, which Eagle beans have been selected since the 1970's to do.

Eagle beans have great drought tolerance (though don't expect them to be like, say LabLab). Soybeans like a pH > 6; 6.5+ is better. They also use a special inoculant, if you choose that. I always plant as much acreage as I have funds for, plus some in iron-clay peas, some in chicory, lab-lab, etc... The deer will pound the Eagle beans earlier & harder than anything I have ever used. One thing to note: this year, Large Lad beans come in a 42.3 lb bag; Big Fellow is 50 pounds. Price is the same. At first, I thought this was like cereal companies that sell you a smaller box for the same price 'cause most people don't notice; but the seed count for LL is 3300/lb; for BF it's 2800/lb; so the # of seed is virtually identical. Something to be aware of if you are broadcast seeding, or calibrate by pound rather than seeds per acre. If you want them to make beans, you should put them in the ground by June 1; but you CAN plant them anytime to produce foliage, as long as there is moisture for them to grow. As soon as soil temps hit 65, they will germinate & produce leaves until frost.

Here is an excerpt from Grant Woods (Eagle does sponsor him) where he shows a field planted 1/2 in ag beans & 1/2 in Eagle & the difference & why Eagle is better:
(if you don't like listening to Grant yammer, the part about the beans starts around minute 2:40)

http://www.growingdeer.tv/archive/#/more-deer-food-for-your-dollar

another episode:
http://www.growingdeer.tv/archive/#/food-plots-planting-then-scouting

and one where they show the quality of eagle beans & what makes them better:
http://www.growingdeer.tv/archive/#/scouting-soybeans-for-bigger-antlers

You need to pick your spot: small acreage, (especially without a lot else for them to be feeding on), acid or sandy soil, you may do better with something less picky like iron-clay peas. But if they are happy, nothing will out-produce or out-attract Eagle beans, as far as I have seen.
 

crasm1

Senior Member
Just finished planting 3 one acre plots, i am not sure of our deer browse, I did not use any deer deterant, I thought about plot saver but way to expensive, I thought about Milorganite, but once the farmer starts his irrigation today it will wash away. I live in Florida and cannot respread. I am rolling the dice on $300 of Eagle soybeans. Reading info on the internet I am expecting my entire 3 acres to benipped at the bud anyone have another opnion.
 

BassHunter25

Senior Member
They Sound great, but I am wondering with the added cost are they worth it. We just planted about 2 acres with ag soy beans and ic peas. I figure let them eat them, hopefully they last a couple months. Then late July or mid August I will plant them again, and they will be perfect size during bow season. And I should still save money. When they die out or are eaten we will re plant again in late Oct. with winter mixes.

This is the plan anyway, I hope it works out. I know they do like the plants when they are younger anyway, and I am sure they will get used to the tractor being in the plots.
 

Madsnooker

Senior Member
There are 2 basic kinds of Forage Soybeans:

1: Tyrone, which (to my knowledge) is not roundup ready, & tends to be more available but less vigorous & less developed/selected than Eagle; they cost about double what ag beans cost.

2: Eagle Seed Forage soybeans. Eagle beans the last 2 years have run 73-75$/50 pounds (generally 3 X the cost of ag beans). They are Roundup Ready, which helps a lot with weed control in drought years. (in years with adequate rainfall, the beans will generally canopy so fast they will choke the weeds off). The leaf size for Eagle beans is huge: this gives the advantage that it takes fewer leaves to fill hungry bellies, so they are more browse tolerant. They also are indeterminate, & developed not to be day-length dependent, so they produce until frost (leaves & pods). The pods are shatter resistant, so they hold beans into winter (provided you plant enough acreage or protect them with electricity so that they can make beans).

Ag beans are developed to mature (based on decreasing daylength) all at the same time, shatter easily, be short, & put most of their energy into producing beans. So any beans left in the field are on the ground & ruined by winter. When soybeans yellow, deer (even in the Midwest) stop eating them. They will come back to them in late season. But we mostly grow soybeans for the leaves; which forage types have in abundance. You want them to stay green & keep putting on new leaves as the old ones are picked off, which Eagle beans have been selected since the 1970's to do.

Eagle beans have great drought tolerance (though don't expect them to be like, say LabLab). Soybeans like a pH > 6; 6.5+ is better. They also use a special inoculant, if you choose that. I always plant as much acreage as I have funds for, plus some in iron-clay peas, some in chicory, lab-lab, etc... The deer will pound the Eagle beans earlier & harder than anything I have ever used. One thing to note: this year, Large Lad beans come in a 42.3 lb bag; Big Fellow is 50 pounds. Price is the same. At first, I thought this was like cereal companies that sell you a smaller box for the same price 'cause most people don't notice; but the seed count for LL is 3300/lb; for BF it's 2800/lb; so the # of seed is virtually identical. Something to be aware of if you are broadcast seeding, or calibrate by pound rather than seeds per acre. If you want them to make beans, you should put them in the ground by June 1; but you CAN plant them anytime to produce foliage, as long as there is moisture for them to grow. As soon as soil temps hit 65, they will germinate & produce leaves until frost.

Here is an excerpt from Grant Woods (Eagle does sponsor him) where he shows a field planted 1/2 in ag beans & 1/2 in Eagle & the difference & why Eagle is better:
(if you don't like listening to Grant yammer, the part about the beans starts around minute 2:40)

http://www.growingdeer.tv/archive/#/more-deer-food-for-your-dollar

another episode:
http://www.growingdeer.tv/archive/#/food-plots-planting-then-scouting

and one where they show the quality of eagle beans & what makes them better:
http://www.growingdeer.tv/archive/#/scouting-soybeans-for-bigger-antlers

You need to pick your spot: small acreage, (especially without a lot else for them to be feeding on), acid or sandy soil, you may do better with something less picky like iron-clay peas. But if they are happy, nothing will out-produce or out-attract Eagle beans, as far as I have seen.

Thanks s bunch, that was very helpfull.

If I plant with a seed drill, how many pounds per acre should I use?
 

Buckfever

Senior Member
Thanks s bunch, that was very helpfull.

If I plant with a seed drill, how many pounds per acre should I use?

Forest Grump always supplies good information. I may be wrong, but I think it's around 60lbs an acre when drilled.
 

Madsnooker

Senior Member
Forest Grump always supplies good information. I may be wrong, but I think it's around 60lbs an acre when drilled.

What about broadcasting as far as #'s per acre? I know alot more seed gets wasted when you broadcast but I'm thinking there will still be many more plants per acre to fight against over grazing by the deer. I can do it both ways just trying to do it the best way considering the cost and the 1 acre size of my 4 plots?
 

Buckfever

Senior Member
Some say you need to double the amount if broadcasting, but that's how I do it and only put 50lb to about an acre +or- a little. If you have a drill that's the way I would do it. I want a small drill bad, but don't have the funds right now. Besides it does such a neat job when you drill, and there's less wasted seed.
 

Bow Only

Senior Member
Some say you need to double the amount if broadcasting, but that's how I do it and only put 50lb to about an acre +or- a little. If you have a drill that's the way I would do it. I want a small drill bad, but don't have the funds right now. Besides it does such a neat job when you drill, and there's less wasted seed.

I drilled mine at 50lb/acre right before the last rain and they look great. We just need more rain.
 

Ihunt

Senior Member
You may want to hold off planting and see if we start getting any rain. Otherwise,you may just have a nice turkey buffet.
 

Mac

Senior Member
You may want to hold off planting and see if we start getting any rain. Otherwise,you may just have a nice turkey buffet.

I second that,

I have bushhogged last Saturday, sprayed with roundup yesterday and hope to plant on the 12th. Suppose to get some rain next week.
 
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