Milo

[BOWSTRING]

Anyone planted this before. I'm looking for something easy to manage to replace the multi flora rose that I'm going to kill this spring? How tall does it get? Is it fairly easy to grow?
This will be in a bottom clearing in a small timber. (15acres)The plot will be about an acre unless I run out of gas cleaning it up.
Looking for something for cover and bedding and if they eat it it'll be a bonus.

[dbltree]

Milo is grain sorghum and doesn't get real tall. It's been awhile since I stood in a field of milo but I'm thinking roughly 4 feet high.

http://www.marshallco.net/beattie/images/milo.jpg

It's pretty sturdy and will stand up well but it may not be the ultimate screen. Forage sorghum or Egyptian Wheat can grow 8-10 feet tall and froms a great screen.

High winds and snow can flatten it this time of year but pictures just posted of EW showed it still standing fairly well.

Pheasants Forever has some great sorghum mixes so you might want to check with them as they have both short and tall versions (or did anyway)

PF Sorghum mixes (http://www.pheasantsforever.org/page/1/foodplotseed.jsp)

Growing milo (http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/sorghum.html)

When planting soybeans and peas with milo Dual Magmum II provides excellent weed control for both. You must ask for "safened" sorghum seed however or buy safner and treat the seed yourself.

Dual MagnumII Herbicide label (http://www.syngentacropprotection-us.com/pdf/labels/SCP818AL1M0204n.pdf)

Concep Seed Safner (http://www.browningseed.com/bsstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=607&zenid=bbf4a73788b6595e36764df59bc85768)

Welter Seed-Sorghum and milo seed (http://www.welterseed.com/productItems.aspx?id=12&org=0)

Milo/soybean seed mix (http://www.welterseed.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=229) Keep in mind the planting rate is for haylage so one might need to cut it back slightly...;)

More about growing sorghum (http://www.uwex.edu/ces/crops/uwforage/SorghumsFOF.htm)

Both Pheasants Forever and the National Wild Turkey Federation offer free or low cost sorghum amd milo seed and sometimes soybean seed so join both, support them and then take home some free seed! :)

Some key planting info from the above link...


A. Seedbed Preparation:

A seedbed similar to the one prepared for corn is also good for grain sorghum. The use of a cultipacker or corrugated roller after seeding often gives better stands. In warmer regions, reduced- and no-tillage systems are used for grain sorghum. Soil temperatures may be too cold for these systems in much of the Upper Midwest.
B. Seeding Date:

Grain sorghum should be planted when soil temperatures reach 60 to 65°F. Generally this is 15 to 20 days after corn planting or between May 15 and early June. Grain yields decrease as planting is delayed after early June. Most hybrids require 90-120 days to reach maturity, therefore late-planting as an emergency crop is not recommended.
C. Method and Rate of Seeding:



Method of Planting: Plant grain sorghum in rows at a depth of 1 inch in heavy soil and 1 1/2 to 2 inches in sandy soil. Corn planters are probably the most common seeding equipment. It is important to place the seed in moist soil to obtain fast emergence of the seedling. A grain drill can also be used to plant the seed in narrow rows. Some adaptations in the grain seedbox may be necessary to isolate the seed above the hole. Some growers have attached small gas funnels above the holes in the seedbox and place the seed in the funnels. Commercial equipment is also available for most newer drills.

Rate of Planting: Seed size will influence the pounds of seed to plant per acre. As a general rule, there are approximately 16,000 sorghum seeds per pound. Most sorghum hybrids average about 75% emergence. On soils of good fertility and adequate moisture, the recommended rate of seeding is 8- 10 pounds of seed in rows of 30-40 inches in width. At this rate of planting, seeds will be I to 1 1/2 inches apart in the row with a population of 100,000 to 120,000 plants per acre.
On soils that are less fertile or more droughty, the seeding rate should be 5-6 pounds per acre.

Row Width: The row width used will likely depend on the equipment available. During the last few years, there has been considerable interest in planting grain sorghum in narrow rows to boost grain yields. With narrow rows, greater distance between plants in the row must be planned in order to get the optimum plant population per acre. The main advantage of narrow rows is to attain more efficient use of moisture, soil fertility, and sunlight. Grain yields in Minnesota studies were 10-15% higher in 10-inch rows than in 40-inch rows. The primary disadvantage is that cultivation is not possible and weed control is dependent entirely on chemical herbicides.
D. Fertility and Lime Requirements:

Nutrient needs of sorghum closely resemble those of com in that sorghum uses relatively large amounts of nitrogen and moderate amounts of phosphorus and potassium. The grain in a 100-bushel per acre grain sorghum crop removes about 100 lbs. of nitrogen, 14 lbs. of phosphorous, and 14 lbs. of potassium.
A soil test is the most practical method of determining fertilizer needs. Apply phosphate and potash according to soil test recommendations where soil tests for P and K are low (L) or very low (VL). Use the nitrogen and maintenance phosphate and potash recommendations shown in Table 1. Lime soils to a pH of 6.0 to 6.5.

Nitrogen can be applied in the spring as a preplant application, at planting, or as a side dressing at cultivation. Appropriate N credits should be taken for manure and previous legumes to reduce N fertilizer rates. A starter fertilizer may be beneficial.
Table 1: Annual nitrogen, phosphate, and potash recommendations for grain sorghum.
<TABLE border=1 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=bottom rowSpan=3>Yield level






</TD><TD vAlign=bottom colSpan=4>Nitrogen recommendation






</TD><TD vAlign=bottom rowSpan=2 colSpan=2>Phosphate and Potash
recommendation<SUP>1</SUP>






</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=bottom colSpan=4>Organic matter %






</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=bottom>< 2






</TD><TD vAlign=bottom>2-5.0






</TD><TD vAlign=bottom>5.1-10






</TD><TD vAlign=bottom>> 10






</TD><TD vAlign=bottom>P<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>5</SUB>






</TD><TD vAlign=bottom>K<SUB>2</SUB>O






</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>bu/a






</TD><TD vAlign=top colSpan=6>lb/a






</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>50 to 100






</TD><TD vAlign=top>120






</TD><TD vAlign=top>100






</TD><TD vAlign=top>80






</TD><TD vAlign=top>60






</TD><TD vAlign=top>30






</TD><TD vAlign=top>30






</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

F. Weed Control:

Early spring seedbed preparation followed by one or two shallow cultivations, just before planting sorghum will kill several generations of weed seedlings and give sorghum a chance to get ahead of the weeds. Timely cultivations of sorghum planted in 20-inch or wider rows during the early growing stages are highly important. Sorghum planted in narrow rows can not be cultivated, but it is a highly competitive crop and can dominate many weeds. Several herbicides are available to compliment cultural and mechanical practices. Quackgrass can be controlled with I qt/A of Roundup applied when the weed is actively growing and has 3 to 4 leaves. Other perennial weeds such as Canada thistle, milkweed and hemp dogbane should be suppressed the year before sorghum is planted.
Several selective herbicides can be used in sorghum.

Atrazine can be applied as a preplant incorporated, preemergence or postemergence herbicide.

Application rates are similar to those used in com, as are the concerns of atrazine carryover. If crops other than corn will be planted next year, do not use atrazine in sorghum. On the other hand, sorghum could be safely planted in fields with atrazine residues from previous years.

Dual and Lasso can be used as a preplant or preemergence treatment only when sorghum seed is treated with a safener. Your seed dealer may be able to obtain safener-treated seed for you. Dual and Lasso are excellent annual grass herbicides and could be used in combination with atrazine. If incorporated into the upper 2 inches of soil, they suppress yellow nutsedge.
Ramrod is chemically related to Lasso and Dual but can be used preemergence in sorghum without a chemical safener applied to the seed. It controls many annual grasses and can be mixed with atrazine to control a broader spectrum of weeds.

Buctril, Banvel and 2,4-D are labeled for use in grain sorghum for postemergence broadleaf weed control. Their use directions and rates are similar to those for corn.

[Joey Rott]

We have a lot of milo fields around here, and i'd have to say it's my favorite crop to deer hunt on. When it's mature and still green, the bucks love to bed it in. The bucks were like clockwork in it this past September. About 30 minutes before dark, they'd stand up (usually 2-8 bucks) and start feeding. I hunted the 80 acre milo in September 9-10 times and the bucks were bedded in it every time. Once the milo started to dry and loose the green they stopped bedding in it, but continued to visit it daily.

When the snow gets deep, the milo is still there as a food source. Last December we got a descent amount of snow and a nasty icestorm, and the milo field had deer in it every day as the stalks were standing above the snow. The nearby soybean & wheat fields, didn't get 1/10 the traffic.

Just something to ponder. It's a real productive crop in the upland areas around here.

The biggest downsides are that I doubt it has as much nutritional benefits as other crops, and once it's mature it's very tough to shoot in. We had a big buck within 50 yards on a couple of occasions in September. But all we could see what the head of the deer, as the rest of the body was covered up by the Milo. And even with the ML, my wife didn't risk the shot.

[SEIowaDeerslayer]

I planted an acre of it this year and the deer do love to bed in it. I haven't seen sign of them eating it...yet, but I imagine in January when the feed starts to get scarce they won't be too picky.

It did bring in a group of 5-10 pheasants, not enough to hunt, but its fun to see them occasionally when bowhunting.

The turkeys love it as well. This fall I saw more turkeys on our property than ever before.

[dbltree]

I planted the milo/soybean mix from Welters and it did great! Price is right too.

I hit the area twice with Rudd-up :D, then broadcasted 2 bags of urea and one bag of seed on ~1 acre (harrowed in). It was very very late going in, last week of August and possibly the first week of September if memory serves. And as a bonus, it's holding a few roosters too.


Some people have great luck with milo but for a food source attractive if there are not more desirable sources near by.

Corn and alfalfa generally trump milo, but if no other crops are near by or are gone in the late season they will hit it hard.

Very useful addition to one's habitat managment program! ;)

[dbltree]

Originally Posted By: bowstring
Want it more for cover if they eat it also it's just a bonus. Deer like to bed in the area already just want to make it a little thicker for them and get rid of the briars. Might give it a try.
Anyone got some planting instructions?





This link will give you most of the info you need to know: Grain Sorghum (Milo) (http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/sorghum.html)

It's not that much difference then corn so Atrazine will work as a herbicide and Dual Magnum II if the seed has been treated with a "safener".

Loves nitrogen an hates weeds but can be either row planted or broadcast. It's a little more drought resistant then corn and should be planted a little later then corn when soil temps warm up a bit.

I think some or all of the PF mixes are safened but I would check be fore using Dual. Stir in a 100#'s of actual N at planting and stand back! :)

[Bighole]

We've had alot of succes with ther PF mix of grain sorghum & forage sorghum. The forage sorghum gets 8-10 ft tall, it is subject to being blown over by the wind at times, but the shorter grain sorghum will hold it up off the ground.

The deer love it on our area, but we do not have much corn nearby for competition. We have also planted climbing peas with the sorghum and have had good results with that as well.


Did you guys use any herbicide on that Jason, or just plant and let er go? I know you've had good luck with that mix.

We have tried a couple of different things, but have found that spraying atrazine as a pre-emergent works best for us. I don't really like working with atrazine, but it seems to be the most effective for weed control.

We tried spraying round-up as a pre-emergent, hoping that the sorghum & beans would get tall enough to out compete the weeds. That process did not work very well. I suppose it could have been a combination of the cooler, wetter weather that effected the growth of what we planted, but it did'nt take long for the weeds to catch up.

The climbing beans that we have been planting can only ne sprayed with a pre-emergent, at least as far as I know. So that restricts what you can use.

[dbltree]

I was planning on planting some milo and forage beans this spring, and wondering how to handle the weed control. I was going to spray with round-up after first green up, but after the milo and beans come up would I be able to use select for grass control,and would 2-4db work for broadleafs, or would I have to use something else. Thanks




Select is a grass herbicde that will kill milo and corn

2-4DB is labled for soybeans but read the lable! Butyrac 200 (http://www.cdms.net/ldat/ld4JG000.pdf)

It is not as effective as 2-4D so control may be limited.
Postemergence Broadleaf Herbicides for Soybeans (http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/bulletin/pastpest/articles/v9711f.html)

Dual Magnum II (http://www.syngentacropprotection.com/pdf/labels/Dual%20II%20MAGNUM%20L1L.pdf) is a pre-emergence herbicide that is very effective if you use safened sorghum seed.

[dbltree]

Originally Posted By: whitetailnut
I am interested in trying my own soybean/milo plot this year.

What month would be best for maximum forage growth by fall. Hoping they will feed on the beans through the summer and possibly the milo in late late season.

Also any help on what ratio to mix the seed?

And I'm assuming urea is great for both??? Thanks






I'm guessing in your area that late May would be fine to plant a mix of soybeans and milo.

Welters Soybean Milo Mix (http://www.welterseed.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=229)is planted at 150#'s per acre while milo alone is roughly 10-15#'s per acre.

That should give you some idea if you mix your own.

Milo loves nitrogen so urea tilled in just before planting would sure feed both even though the beans don't need it, they'll be happy to use it!

Anywhere from 200-300#'s of 46% urea will make for some awesome sorghum growth but 40-80#'s of P&K per acre might be needed as well.

I would soil test for corn and you'll be covered in that respect.

Eagle Forage Seed (http://www.eagleseed.com/forage.html)has some awesome vining/climbing soybeans if you can locate some in your area.

[turkeyriver]

I planted some pheasant milo plots this year with my no-till GP drill. We worked the ground smooth in late May, then waited a week till a big flush of weeds came. Sprayed this flush with a little R'up, after it dryed I drilled the milo in.Didn't spray again and had excellent weed control. I divided my drill into 3 sections. one had straight grain milo, one forage sorghum, and the other about 75%grain milo and 25% forage sorghum. Late season hunting the forage sorghum had fallen over on top of the short stuff and made excellent pheasant cover and feed. We shot two birds out of it in Jan. and their crops were absolutely stuffed with milo, even tho there were corn fields next door.

Any idea how many #'s per acre you planted? Sounds like an awesome mix...I really like the sorghum mixes that PF offers!

Not sure. I believe the drill was set for 30# but we used some old seed mixed in so I don't know what the final pop. was.

[dbltree]

Originally Posted By: Baran
Why does welter seed list it as 150lbs per acre but the Pheasants forever mix is only 25lbs and is listed for 4-5 acres.
Has anyone mixed millet in with the milo blend?




The Welters mix is heavy on soybeans while the PF mixes I know of are pure milo/sorghum mixes of varying degrees and they are meant to serve different puposes in different situations.

The Welter mix is meant for making silage or hay and not for grazing although in most cases deer would thin the soybeans anyway.

Planting a plot for heavy deer grazing is not the same as planting a plot for birds... ;)

I haven't mixed in millet and I suspect that the milo/sorghum would be to tall and dominant unless one mixed it very light on milo.

[turkeyriver]

Originally Posted By: dbltree


I haven't mixed in millet and I suspect that the milo/sorghum would be to tall and dominant unless one mixed it very light on milo.




Millet gets tall with some types getting 8-9 feet tall. I thought it would make a good blend in with milo. I was wondering if anyone has used it.



Millet is in some of the PF mixes and it will grow in the mix. If I'm not mistaken, it looks somewhat like giant foxtail? It makes a very small seed and I'm not sure about it's contribution to the total lbs. of feed per acre. If you use Dual for weed control I would think it would hurt millet, but I'm not sure.

[dbltree]

There are several types of millet that are great for birds but not so sure about deer?

Several pics and varieties listed here: Millet Varieties (http://www.wildlifeseeds.com/info/millets.html)

Dual controls foxtail so I'm with turkeyriver...I think it would nuke the millet...

I'll be planting some sorghum here in the next few weeks, plenty early yet as sorghum generally is planted more in line with soybeans then corn. Perhaps it is not as frost tolerant as corn or just prefers warmer soils but in any event don't be in a rush to plant it to early in the spring.

Planting rates vary but 20-30# per acre is roughly a reccomend rate, sowing sorghum to thick will cause it to compete against itself for available nutrients and soil moisture and to thin will allow weeds to invade.

If broadcasting, lightly drag or cultipack the seed to cover or plant with a grain drill.

Like corn or any grass, sorghum loves itrogen and hates weeds!

On most soils it could thrive with just nitrogen but soil testing would ensure that P&k levels are up to snuff. I work with wahtever is available in my area and in my case triple 13 applied at 200#'s per acre gives me 26#'s per acre of N-P-K and then 100#'s of 46-0-0 urea puts me up over 70#'s total actual nitrogen per acre.

If nothing else, feed sorghum plenty of N by tilling in 150#'s of urea just before planting and it will do very well for you!

The nitrogen of course will encourage a flush of weeds but atrazine applied at planting will solve that problem. I spray right after planting at 2-3 quarts per acre of atrazine or if no-tilling add 1-2 quarts of roundup.

Atrazine presents a problem because it is a restricted use pesticide requiring a license to purchase, so this means plotters often need to hire it done or locate a friend with a RUP license.

Atrazine 4L label (http://www.cdms.net/LDat/ld71G001.pdf)

Dual Magnum II herbicide provides and answer as it is not restricted, however it is expensive at nearly $300 for a 2 1/2 gallon jug. Sorghum seed needs to be "safened" with Concep to be allow the use of Dual with out harming the sorghum but most seed from Pheasants Forever is treated and safe to plant with Dual.

Dual is commonly available at most farm elevators and is used on both corn and soybeans as well as sorghum.

Dual II MAGNUM® is a selective herbicide, labeled for preplant surface-applied, preplant incorporated or pre-emergence application, providing long-lasting control of most annual grasses and small-seeded broadleaf weeds.



Be sure to follow the label instructions!

Dual Magnum II label (http://www.syngentacropprotection-us.com/pdf/labels/Dual%20II%20MAGNUM%20L1L.pdf)

Cinch is a generic version of Dual that is a little less costly form of
S-metolachlor

DuPont™ Cinch®** herbicide provides weed control in corn, cotton, peanuts, pod crops, potatoes, safflowers, grain or forage sorghum, and soybeans.

Cinch herbicide label (http://www2.dupont.com/Production_Agriculture/en_US/label_msds_info/labels/H64553.pdf)

The nice thing about using S-metolachlor is that one can add soybeans to the sorghum mix and still control weeds. The sorghum will somewhat protect the soybeans while they are young and in doing so give you a better chance of a late fall/early winter food source along with some screening cover. :way:

[NovemberSunrise]

Great info Paul as I am getting ready to order some seed for a 5 acre plot I have prepped. One question though:

Pheasants Forever offers a "Covey Rise Sorghum Mix" that is a 25# bag for $59 "includes S & H." Says it will plant up to 5 acres.

Welters on the other hand offers "Milo/Grain Sorghum" that is a 50# bag for $22 but says it will do 2 acres. So correct me if I'm wrong but that is 25# of seed per acre. How can PF's 25# do 5 acres??? Guess I am just needing to know what seed YOU GUYS would buy. This is going to be a shelter crop around a clover plot. Thanks
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->__________________

What is the mixture in Covey Rise? Perhaps there are more seeds per pound in it and spacing should not be dense? My second thought - PF seems to like annual weeds in plots (for example, they always seem to recommend leaving a plot alone the year after and just letting the weeds fill it in.). I imagine that they are having you plant it thin in the hopes of annuals filling in the gaps.

[Long_Spur_Hollow]

Hello guys,
It has been a slow start on plots for me this spring, as my river bottom farm land is just starting to dry out. I have got about 1/3 of my summer plots done so far.

I want try something a bit different...I am planting milo in a 6 acre field. I will be planting it at 30 inch rows and a target rate of about 10 lb/acre. I will use starter fertilizer as well. The Welter Seed Co web site says 25lb/acre - but that seems pretty strong based upon my experiences in the past, so I am going to shoot for the 10lb unless I hear from someone here that says "go to a higher rate". I will be using my JD 7100 4-row no-till planter for this task.

I also have 150lbs of Austrian Winter Peas on hand. I thought that after planting the Milo, that I would drill the AWP at 20 to 30 lb/acre over the top of my Milo using my Great Plains NT drill at 7.5 inch spacing. The AWP's will be innoculated.

Note that the soil is very rich and fertile. The soil has been tested for fertility and the ph is at 7.2 - this plot was underwater quite a bit this past year...with last summers flood, and unusually high spring river levels this year. It is almost like "free fertilizer" I guess.

While I realize that a soybean and milo combo has been extensively discussed and is quite common...the AWP and milo combo has yet to be dealt with on this board (I believe). Does anyone see any problems with this combo and the rates? I appreciate the timely feedback, as I want to jump on this tomorrow before the rain that is forecast for the weekend.

Thanks,
Mike

[dbltree]

I would say you are in the ballpark regarding planting rates






Method and Rate of Seeding: Milo (http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/sorghum.html)
Method of Planting:

Plant grain sorghum in rows at a depth of 1 inch in heavy soil and 1 1/2 to 2 inches in sandy soil. Corn planters are probably the most common seeding equipment. It is important to place the seed in moist soil to obtain fast emergence of the seedling. A grain drill can also be used to plant the seed in narrow rows. Some adaptations in the grain seedbox may be necessary to isolate the seed above the hole. Some growers have attached small gas funnels above the holes in the seedbox and place the seed in the funnels. Commercial equipment is also available for most newer drills.

Rate of Planting:

Seed size will influence the pounds of seed to plant per acre. As a general rule, there are approximately 16,000 sorghum seeds per pound. Most sorghum hybrids average about 75% emergence. On soils of good fertility and adequate moisture, the recommended rate of seeding is 8- 10 pounds of seed in rows of 30-40 inches in width. At this rate of planting, seeds will be I to 1 1/2 inches apart in the row with a population of 100,000 to 120,000 plants per acre.
On soils that are less fertile or more droughty, the seeding rate should be 5-6 pounds per acre.

Row Width: The row width used will likely depend on the equipment available. During the last few years, there has been considerable interest in planting grain sorghum in narrow rows to boost grain yields. With narrow rows, greater distance between plants in the row must be planned in order to get the optimum plant population per acre. The main advantage of narrow rows is to attain more efficient use of moisture, soil fertility, and sunlight. Grain yields in Minnesota studies were 10-15% higher in 10-inch rows than in 40-inch rows. The primary disadvantage is that cultivation is not possible and weed control is dependent entirely on chemical herbicides.


Soybeans also make a great addition to a milo planting but let us know how the milo/AWP combo works out...:)

Milo will need 1.1 pounds of nitrogen per bushel of expected yield. The exact choice of nitrogen is not important, but it is important that it be properly applied to avoid any losses. Phosphorus response in grain sorghum is quite high, particularly on poorer fields. Most top producers are not satisfied with low or medium phosphorus tests on owned land. They would like to move those soil test levels to almost 20 ppm. Starter fertilizer provides for readily available nitrogen and phosphorus. By helping the plants get off to a fast start it also will reduce weed competition. In addition, crop rotation is a must for most producers.

Grain Sorghum (http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/sorghum.html)

[dbltree]

In the past I have had good success planting soybeans and milo at the same time. I would put milo in the first and third rows and then soybeans in the 2nd and 4th rows. Then I planted twice so my rows were about 17 inches apart and every other row was bean then sorghum. The pheasants enjoyed it. I also sprayed a mix of RU and metulaclor (sp?) which was safe for both if the milo was safened. good luck. 8-10lbs is about right for sorghum. you could do the same thing with AWP probably.

S-Metolachlor (Dual Magnum II or Cinch) provides awesome weed control and makes the milo/soybean marriage work very well!

Here's a list of approved crops which does include peas:


DUAL II Magnum herbicide provides selective weed control in:
Corn * (hybrid, silage, seed, sweet)
Soybeans
Dry common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
Snap common beans (yellow and green)
Lima beans
Potatoes
Sugar beets
Transplanted tomatoes
Rutabagas
Sweet white lupins
Peas (grown for processing)
Fruit trees (bearing and non-bearing)
Second-year or older poplar stoolbeds
Second-year or older transplant or seedling stock of:
White Spruce, Norway Spruce, Black Spruce, White Pine, Jack Pine and Red Pine
Transplanted broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower
Newly planted strawberries


The label mentions that Dual can be applied pre-emergence on peas and of course milo if the seed has been safened:

Dual MagnumII Label (http://www2.dupont.com/Crop_Protection/en_CA/assets/downloads/Dual-II-Magnum-E-2006-12-20.pdf)

[dbltree]

Thank you for the timley replies last week. I got everything planted and fertizilized prior to a much needed 1.25 inch rain fall. I ended up at about 12.72lb/acre on the milo (made notes in journal to reduce the target rate next time - if seed heads are small or stunted) at 30 inch centers, and 27 lb/acre on the AWP at 7.5 inch centers.

The milo seed was not "safened" or treated...so it looks like I will not be able to spray anything except glyphosate (prior to plant emergence) on this field. Hopefully, I will get sufficient early canopy to supress weeds. The field is pretty clean in general though...with the exception of some sporadic pesky yellow nutgrass.

I will keep the forum posted on what I learn from this combo.

Mike H


Remember you can buy seed safener...check the front page for a source ;)

We seem to be under a constant deluge of rain here in SE Iowa this year with another 3+" hitting us the other night, so I've given up on planting any milo this year, however...

I came across this ISU test showing how field peas could be double cropped with soybeans or milo and was surprised that milo planted in early July did very well!

Field Pea Rotation study (http://www.ag.iastate.edu/farms/07reports/Southeast/DoubleCroppedFieldPea.pdf)

In the study field peas were planted in very early spring, harvested in early July and then re-planted with either soybeans or milo.

The soys did poor to fair but the milo yield 86 bushel per acre!

Something to consider during wet years and for food plots mixing the milo and soybeans can be an awesome food plot! ;)

[dbltree]

Last year I planted some milo the 1st week of july and it did very well. I plan on planting some this weekend if it stays dry till then.

I've also been looking all over for some safened milo but so far haven't been able to find any treated with concep. Anyone know where a guy might be able to pick some up and what kind price difference is there compared to regular old milo?

I also ran across Brawl herbicide from Tenkoz at the local co-op. It's another generic of Dual and runs about $86 for 2.5gal.

Usually the milo that Pheasants Forever offers is safened so you might check with your local chapter through your county conservation board.

Dual Magnum II contains S-metalachlor while most generics do not (only metalachlor) which requires more per acre so just keep that in mind when comparing prices.

Generic herbicides may not be bargain (http://southeastfarmpress.com/mag/farming_generic_herbicides_may/)

[Skully]

Just wanted to give a follow up on my milo/millet plot from last fall. I ordered the deer plot mix and an extra bag of milo from Welters last summer. The seed was great and my only problem was that I broadcast it and got it too thick. I didn't add any nitrogen and I don't think it was able to reach its full height. It did get about 4 feet tall in the best spots. That being said it is the ONLY thing left standing as thick cover for several sections. We had ice, wind, rain and snow and it stood up to everything Mother Nature threw at it and should become great nesting habitat for some turkeys and pheasants this spring. In my neck of the woods the deer barely touched it. The snow was very deep and the seed pods were exposed leading me to think that they would use it as a food source. I saw where they bedded in it but didn't browse it much. I am guessing the birds will utilize the remaining seeds this spring and summer so it will benefit some of the wildlife. My question now is what to do with it this fall? Do I burn it off? Mow it off? Then what could I put back in its place that may draw more attention from the deer? I am sure I will have to add nitrogen or something since my over-seeding probably leached out what little nutrients were in the ground to start with. Any ideas what to follow it up with would be appreciated! :way:

[dbltree]

I think I would just chop/shed it up and plant some annual clover like crimson or berseem for the summer and then decide what you would rather have there this fall.

I really like the winter rye/pea combination and that is always a hit with deer all winter long. Till under the clover in late August to plant the rye/pea combination and add some red clover when you plant.


There are other options like soybeans of course but they often wipe those out by the end of summer if you don't have a large field...;)

[Skully]

Will do , thanks! :way:

[dbltree]

Caught a brief break between storms and got my soybean/milo plot planted.

The field was in winter rye and clover, one a nitrogen scavenger and the other a nitrogen producer and together they make a great combination to till under or even no-till corn or milo into.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/CIMG1158.jpg

Tons of biomass are added to the soil along with nitrogen as the killed rye and clover decompose....al for the minimal cost of a little seed the fall before. Not to mention feeding whitetails all fall, winter and spring.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/CIMG1157.jpg

Fertilizer prices are not great but still less then a year or two ago so I try to build up P&K levels when prices are on the low side. I broadcasted 400#'s of 10-28-28 first

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/10-28-28.jpg

Then 250#'s of urea which is more then enough considering I tilled under white and red clovers capable of fixing 200#'s of N per acre.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/46-0-0.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Urea.jpg

I spread into the standing rye...easier to see where I had been

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Thickcover.jpg

and where I was going!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Spreadingfertilizer.jpg

Small plotters will want to mow the clover and rye before tilling or better yet, no-till in RR seed and just nuke everything although it takes a very strong does of gly and 2-4D to kill the clovers.

I just disc mine under which allows the clovers to eventually come back

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Ryealone.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Readytoplant.jpg

I hooked onto the JD7000 no-till...the coulters slice thru the surface trash very nicely!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/JD7000.jpg

I mixed the soybeans and milo seed together, setting the the planter to plant 36#s per acre with 38" rows and then turned around and planted between the existing rows.

I added 10#'s of milo seed per acre (5#'s per pass)

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Soybeansnmilo.jpg

Set the driver and driven sprockets to 26-16

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Drivendriver.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/26-16.jpg

Sprayed 1.75 pints per acre of Dual II Magnum per acre to provide residual weed control in the conventional soybeans and Concep treated WGF milo seed. Hours later we got a 1/2" of rain...perfect!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Plantedfield.jpg

The soybeans had 2500 seeds per pound or 125,000 seeds per bag so I planted roughly 180,000 seeds per acre along with 10#'s of milo seed.

Hope to get my 3 wire 2 fence electric barrier put up in a few weeks to protect the soys and then we'll see how this combination does this summer...;)

[dbltree]

6-10-2010

Milo and soybean combination planting is about two weeks old....planted with my JD 7000 planter once then twice to give me roughly 19" rows with emphasis on"rough".... :D

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Milosoybeanplanting.jpg

The Dual II Magnum herbicide is working very well especially combined with the allelopathic chemicals in the winter rye I tilled under.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Beansnmiloinryestraw.jpg

We have been inundated with ceaseless heavy rainfall for 6 weeks now recieving 1-3" downpours often only 1-3 days apart and that tends to push both nitrogen and residual herbicides deeper into the soil beyond usefull ranges. In some spots I notice a little velvetleaf coming up but I could apply BUTYRAC. 200 Broadleaf Herbicide (http://www.cdms.net/LDat/ld4JG002.pdf) with some stipuations if need be.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/6-11beansnmilo.jpg

The soybeans look like this where deer have not munched them off

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Soysinryestraw.jpg

But the field was rapidly being decimated!:thrwrck:

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Grazedbeans.jpg

So we took advantage of our one solitary day without rain to get busy on our electric fence and even then got rained out before it was completed. We mowed falcata alfalfa that rings the field and hope that it will also act as a buffer along with adjacent Alice white clover to keep hungry whitetails from "testing" the fence.... :eek:

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Electricfence.jpg

My son and I worked like madmen to get what we could done before yet another T-storm forced to get out of the field so i had little time for more pictures but it is interesting that deer have become so adapted to feeding in this field that they have not touched soybeans that I planted leading to another field.

They have used the same well worn trails through the NWSG and into this field for 15 years now so exactly how they will react to the fence is hard to say but I'm hopeful that in time I can discourage them until November rolls around. At least the milo is untouched and my ace in this scenario because I don't expect them to touch it until fall....fence or no...... ;)

[dbltree]

We continue to be inundated with almost daily heavy rainfall here in SE Iowa and it is honestly quite rare to go a full 24 hours without at least a 1/2" of rain! Last week we averaged an inch a day on already saturated soils and flooded fields, all of which is drowning crops in the fields and pushing nitrogen beyond the root zone. Thousands of acres are unplanted and as many more unsprayed creating very difficult situations for farmers here.

Passing by fields of yellow and uneven corn, I know I am blessed to have my milo and beans on reasonably well drained soil although much of it is still suffering.

Milo/soybean combo at 3 weeks

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Soysnmiloat3weeks.jpg

The WGF milo is better adapted to hot dry weather but most of it is doing well

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Milo1.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/MIlonbeans3weeks.jpg

Now that I have the field fenced the beans are rebounding and handling the wet soils better then the milo

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Beangrowth3wks.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Soys3weeks.jpg

Parts of my field looks like this...drowned out!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Drowned.jpg

You can see the lower leaves of the soybeans are yellow and the milo is spotted

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/CIMG1371.jpg

The Dual II Magnum herbicide is keeping the crops clean

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Cleancrops.jpg

and that is even more apparant where I missed a strip!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Missedspot.jpg

The rye straw mulch also helps suffucate weeds and in dry years conserves soil moisture

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Milonsoysinryemulch.jpg

The white clover I disced down is returning which is another neat aspect of adding clover to a fall rye planting!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Cloverreturning.jpg

I find it interesting how over the past 15 years deer have become so adapted to feeding in this field via well worn routes that they have completely ignored a smaller second field around the corner. These beans lead to that field and though unfenced deer have not ravaged them as of yet.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Ungrazedbeans.jpg

They walk right thru these beans to reach their usual feeding area rather then forage on these on the way...weird!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/CIMG1380.jpg

I finally got the fence completed although the single fence kept all but a couple deer out

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Fencer.jpg

The three wire, 2 fence project is a hybrid so to speak of fencing supplies from various suppliers

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Fence1.jpg

I mowed my falcata alfalfa tight to the ground and installed the fence in it, hoping the strip of falcata will help act as a buffer as well

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Fence2.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Electricfence-1.jpg

The fence was actually shorted in an area that didn't get mowed so I used the weed whacker to clean everything up and once the grasses start to regrow I'll clean up the alfalfa with clethodim in a backpack sprayer.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/Shortedfence.jpg

Our forecast includes daily heavy rains for the forseeable future but hot weather this time of year will at least help dry the surface of saturated soils.

I'm also nothing less then ecstatic that the fence appears for now at least to be working....a field of standing soybeans in November is doggone hard to beat! :way:

[dbltree]

Iowa Ag Sec. Bill Northery toured SE Ia and called the situation heartbreaking having seen nothing like it since the devastating floods of 1993. Thousands upon thousands of acres of corn is severely stunted and sick from saturated soils from which nitrogen has been flushed beyond the root zone leaving them looking like these.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Corn/IMG_0042.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Corn/IMG_0040.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Corn/IMG_0045.jpg

Most of this corn will not recover although desperate farmers are dribbling on liquid nitrogen between the rows in hopes of salvaging their crop. In many cases they are thowing good money after bad and at best in some fields they may at least lesson their losses.

I mention these things for several reasons...landowners should never put in only one type of food source for a number of reasons but not the least of which it could end up like those corn fields. Planting only one food source means that part of the year your whitetails have nothing to eat on your property and if severe weather hits (floods, hail, high winds etc.) your out of luck for the season!

Seeing how weather affects crops so dramatically also helps us understand why other crops or plantings may fail or not do well...common sense perhaps but many landowners today have not been planting long enough to have experienced these things and then end up bewildered and perplexed at failures.

Some of my milo is just as sick as the neighboring corn fields and perhaps even more so because milo prefers warmer drier conditions.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0006-1.jpg

All things considered however my milo/soybeanplanting is doing as well as can be expected

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0009.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0016.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0013.jpg

The Dual II Magnum is keeping it relatively clean despite the heavy rains

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0010.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0012.jpg

I found one track that was not fresh inside the fenced field

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0011.jpg

The Poly Wire is holding up and does not seem to have stretched too much yet although my corner posts could use an anchor!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0017.jpg

The soybeans are definitely recovering!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/IMG_0007.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/IMG_0014.jpg

So other then the occasional "fence crasher" I think I have this thing licked!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/IMG_0015.jpg

A week of warm dry weather should improve growing conditions and I have some Coron28 foliar nitrogen that I'd like to test on some of the milo...stay tuned....:way:

[letemgrow]

Looks great Paul!!! Did you try some aluminum foil/peanut butter on the fence? I have heard from several farmers in my area that works great to condition deer about the fence.

[dbltree]

Looks great Paul!!! Did you try some aluminum foil/peanut butter on the fence? I have heard from several farmers in my area that works great to condition deer about the fence.


I have not but I did notice that Mali feels it does help, I just haven't taken the time to do it, certainly worth trying...:way:

[dbltree]

One good thing about grain sorghum is that, unlike corn it has a very short growing window. Wild Game Food sorghum matures in 50-55 days and also unlike corn it has a very low water requirement and is bitter tasting until later in the fall.

Good info at this site: Wildlife Grain Sorghum (http://www.farmsciencegenetics.com/products/wildlife/WGF_Grain_Sorghum.php)

That makes milo a great option for wet springs, northern areas with short growing seasons, areas with heavy grazing pressure and areas with poor soil moisture.

I got the wet spring part covered! :D

I planted WGF sorghum and some Pheasants Forever sorghums and some Egyptian Wheat in a tree planting that we hope will keep deer from walking the rows in the rubbing stage and provide an alternative food source during the late winter browsing period. It remains to be seen if that part wil work or not but it will still be interesting to see how the sorghums compare and "feed the birds" this winter.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0006.jpg

Covey Rise is a grain sorghum mix more on the order of the WGF milo

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0004.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0003.jpg

Blizzard Buster is a taller mix that includes some forage sorghums to provide more screening and cover

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0001.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0002.jpg

All of it treated with ConcepIII so that Dual II Magnum can be used

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0007.jpg

Atrazine is safe to use on sorghums but it is a restricted use herbicide and that makes it difficult for some landowners to use it.

I planted these seeds seperately and mixed in the multiple rows of the tree planting so we can compare and see how they do and how deer react to them later this fall and winter.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0010-1.jpg

I applied 200#'s of 46-0-0 urea and 400#'s of 6-24-24 and tilled it in before planting. then broadcast seed at roughly 5#'s per acre and lightly tilled them in while pulling a cultpacker behind.

A week later it's coming up nicely...

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0012-1.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0011-1.jpg

Milo is not for everyone but it is an option for many and a great way to add diversity and bird food and cover to your habitat program....:way:

[dbltree]

It was 97 yesterday with a heat index of 127 here in SE Iowa! What a difference heat makes when combined with good soil moisture rather then cool weather and saturated soils!

The milo is really starting to get cranking now!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0001-1.jpg

The soybeans are slowly recovering since I fenced the plot

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0003-1.jpg

I could hear the fencer "popping" as I walked up to because a tag end of the Poly Wire had flopped over against a corner post. I'm used to "wire" that stays in place so one needs to cut ends off or use electrical tape to make sure it stays in place. I could however find no evidence of deer having been in the plot

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0002-1.jpg

I mention often that attempting to side dress urea is a tricky proposition a best because unless incorporated by some means within 24 hours most of it will be lost. For that reason I always disc/till it in at planting be it corn, milo or brassicas.

Incorporate urea within 24 to 36 hours to avoid nitrogen loss from volatilization. Mechanical incorporation by plowing down, disking in, cultivating in as a sidedress, and timing the application just before a rainfall all are effective methods. One-half inch of rain is sufficient. Broadcasting urea on corn plants causes some leaf injury, and although this is not a widespread practice, it has been used by some farmers and in research trials with satisfactory results. Sidedressing that is incorporated is preferred over topdressing.

Last night the forecast called for 70-80% chance of 1/2 - 3/4" of rain but we didn't get a drop and we have 3 days of hot humid weather ahead of us. Had I broadcasted urea last night I might as well have burned the cash and saved myself the effort because it would have all been lost. Ammonium nitrate or sulfate are better options but nearly impossible to get in my area but should you need to side dress additional N be sure to ask your ag co-op if they carry it or treated urea.

My milo appears to be recovering without added N but this year is a case where side dressing might be needed after heavy rains push nitrogen beyond root zones.... ;)

[dbltree]

The milo and soybean planting is picking up steam!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/CIMG1499.jpg

I've been to busy planting brassicas to try and get any additonal urea on it but I think it will do fine without it.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/CIMG1498.jpg

The soybeans are starting to flower...first time I have seen that happen on my place in years!!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/CIMG1500.jpg

No sign of anything breeching the fence anywhere

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/CIMG1496.jpg

Despite the fact that weeds had shorted the fence in a couple spots

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/CIMG1497.jpg

My son nuked the weeds with roundup and I'm thinking in the future I may just use Oust so nothing grows back underneath the 2 wire fence. The outer wire is over top of Falcata alfalfa so I had him spray clethodim there.

The beans were grazed right to the ground when they first came up, before I got the fence up and while I'm thankful they recovered, growth is slower or at least behind those that were ungrazed. Next year Ithe fence will be ready and working the minute I'm done planting....:way:

[Nontypcl1]

I'm looking to put in 2-3 acres of soybeans next year and plan on fencing them. I've done a little pricing on fence components but would like to see what others have come up with for $ amount. A ballpark figure of what it cost per acre would be much appreciated.

[dbltree]

I'm looking to put in 2-3 acres of soybeans next year and plan on fencing them. I've done a little pricing on fence components but would like to see what others have come up with for $ amount. A ballpark figure of what it cost per acre would be much appreciated.

I was able to borrow a solar fencer but they are $160 on up for those.

You need steel T posts for corners, 8 of them at $3.50/4.00 a piece

I used the white step in posts that run 1.75 to 2.25 depending on sales etc. and used one every 30 yards (double that for two fences) and the Poly Wire was $39 for a 1320' roll. I believe I used about 5 of those to fence roughly 2 1/2 acres.

The Poly Tape is more expensive as is the Turbo wire but I seem to be getting along fine with the Poly Wire. They can see it well and so far have not ran into it and torn it down. ;)

[dbltree]

August 2nd 2010

Milo at roughly 70 days growth (Wild Game Food sorghum)

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0003-2.jpg

Supposed to get 24-30 high but it's easily double that already as you can see by this 6' T post!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0029.jpg

Tremendous amount of feed for both deer and upland birds especially with the soybeans mixed in.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0004-1.jpg

Most of it has recovered from the drowning rains in May and June and the rich green color shows the effects of using plenty of nitrogen.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0005-1.jpg

Neither birds nor deer will eat the high tannin seed heads until cold weather sweetens it in the fall.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0009-1.jpg

Right now deer are pounding tender ears of corn and will literally eat the stalk and all but such is not the case with milo.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0007-1.jpg

I have one field fenced and one that is not and there is no damage to milo in the unfenced field desipite my high deer densities.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0022.jpg

I'll post pics of the soybeans tomorrow but they are also doing well and co-existing well with the milo...;)

[dbltree]

The soybean component of the milo/bean mix is doing well with the electric fence protecting them. The milo has gotten tall enough that one has to look for the soybeans now however....

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0006-2.jpg

Where the heavy rains slowed growth of the milo the soybeans are a little easier to see

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0008.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0013-1.jpg

Pods are forming now

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0014.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0020.jpg

Most places the beans are easily waist high

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0019.jpg

Not bad considering deer ate them to the ground before I got the fence up!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0018.jpg

The milo/soybean combination does make for some awesome cover and a sure bet to draw deer the moment the fence is removed until they have scoured every last grain from this planting by late winter. Late season hunting is one of my favorite times to hunt because with other crops off and chisel plowed ANY food source remaining will attract hordes of deer including mature bucks gaunt and hungry from the rut.

In late December and early January standing soybeans, corn and milo will get pounded and thanks to my new fence I intend to enjoy some great late season hunts! :way:

[turkeyriver]

I planted milo/soybeans as a cattle forage crop this year after removing a crop of winter wheat. Because of rain, I didn't get it planted until June 15, but it has grown well anyway. Looking at your pics, I can tell you that if the deer hadn't eaten off the beans early, it would look quite different. My crop is about 3 feet tall and the beans are keeping up with the milo. I expect the milo to top out in the next couple weeks and head out, but the understory of beans is really thick. Maybe the milo won't be as good as yours and I'm not sure which way is better for a wildlife food plot. Mine will get chopped off as silage so I won't know how it would mature in the fall. The seed is cheap so I will definitely try some next year in food plots. I think the key to this crop is timing the planting. Too early and the milo won't grow well and weeds will take over. Too late and the beans will be short and not compete with the milo. I know, I need to post pics but I know barely enough about computers to get to this site!

[Sligh1]

I'm thinking you are gonna need a good old "Lick Creek Blind" to be sitting in while you're on that patch of rediculous deer magnet!

[dbltree]

I know, I need to post pics but I know barely enough about computers to get to this site! <!-- / message -->

Your welcome to email them to me if you like... dbltree2000@yahoo.com

I'm thinking you are gonna need a good old "Lick Creek Blind" to be sitting in while you're on that patch of rediculous deer magnet!

I'm savin' my pennies Skip! :way:

[dbltree]

One advantage of milo is that it doesn't have to fenced or at least it would be rare but soybeans are quite another story. Eventually I'll put togther a thread just on fencing so that all the basic requirements are covered but here's a few things I used on mine.

The corner insulaters have many uses and an extended standoff insulater as shown here enables one to have a "break" point where you can disconnect and drop down a fence without dropping the entire thing. Also a way to easily extend the fence from the current corner posts.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0030.jpg

I used two corner insulaters at each corner even though one is all that is needed to hold the poly wire. I can easily let down and roll up an end without lowering the whole fence by using two corner insulaters.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0026.jpg

I use the extended insulaters to run a wire from fence to fence from the fencer also

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0027.jpg

Roundup of course works well to keep things killed under the fence but one might also consider adding Oust, atrazine, simazine or Dual II Magnum with the first spraying to keep from having to re-spray all summer. It depends of course if the plot and fence are somewhat permanant or if it will be moved yearly on which if any residual herbicides might be used.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0012-2.jpg

The T posts were not really necessary except on the corners but they do provide the option of allowing a section of fence to be removed whereas the plastic posts are only strong enough to hold up the wire.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0018.jpg

The Poly wire is the least expensive option and it hasn't stretched or broken nor have deer knocked it down. I have found a few tracks where deer touched the fence and then bolted and when I walked the shoulder high milo the other day, I did jump a yearling inside the plot. She bounded away and of course easily cleared both fences, I could not however find any tracks in the very moist soil and there was no obvious evidence of grazing on the beans.

With the fence already in place for next year I feel deer will be adapted to it and I can safely grow corn and beans without having them decimated. A friend had the neighbors cows get in to his 3 acre soybean field and they mowed them to the ground overnight so fencing can have other benefits as well... ;)

[dbltree]

I thought about trying to get some brassicas started in the milo/soybean planting but the canopy is just to dense right now.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/Milobeancanopy.jpg

I'll just wait till the leaves start to turn and then overseed winter rye and Groundhog forage radish into the standing beans and milo. Canopy will still be dense at first but once leaves drop and the milo leaves wilt I think I can still get some green growth to go along with the grain in this plot.... ;)

[NovemberSunrise]

Have you planted WGF sorghum in the past? Did it get as high or was it closer to the advertised 24-30 inches?

I tried a few different combinations with egyptian wheat, WGF sorghum, and browntop millet this year. My WGF is 36-48 inches tall. If I would have known it'd do this well, I might have skipped the egyptian wheat since it'll be hard to see a flushing bird given EW's extreme height (11'-14'). Then again this year seemed to have a lot of spring rain, so perhaps the WGF height this year is just very unusual. :confused:

[dbltree]

Have you planted WGF sorghum in the past? Did it get as high or was it closer to the advertised 24-30 inches?

I tried a few different combinations with egyptian wheat, WGF sorghum, and browntop millet this year. My WGF is 36-48 inches tall. If I would have known it'd do this well, I might have skipped the egyptian wheat since it'll be hard to see a flushing bird given EW's extreme height (11'-14'). Then again this year seemed to have a lot of spring rain, so perhaps the WGF height this year is just very unusual. :confused:

This is my first year planting WGF sorghum too and was also surprised at how tall it is, easily shoulder high most places. It was actually stunted because of excessive rainfall at first but it sure did recover.

EW is great screening but WGF sorghum is awesome bird and deer cover! :way:

[dbltree]

August 29, 2010

The milo heads are filling out!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0229.jpg

The field is kind of pretty now

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0220.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0223.jpg

Even the flooded areas recovered and is producing seed heads

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0231.jpg

The electric fence allowed the beans to recover and produce pods

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0224.jpg

The soys were grazed off to the ground before I got the fence up and they are never the same after that...still, they aren't half bad!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0227.jpg

The milo is so thick and dense that it limited the soybeans to some extent also but still the combination is producing a tremendous amount of feed that has the potential to hold deer well into the new year!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0230.jpg

This bean plant was just outside the fence and gives on an idea what they would look like without fencing!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0218.jpg

I'm really excited about next year and an already picking up more posts and poly-wire to expand the field! RR corn and soybeans will make an easy to care for field that I can use Dual II Magnum for season long weed control and glyphosate to clean up any missed spots... :way:

[dbltree]

Since I put the electric fence up after I planted there are a few places that the soybeans are on the wrong side of the fence and I am surprised there is anything at all left of them!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0226-1.jpg

Inside the fence it's a different story...

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0225.jpg

and the whole place is just a thick mass of soybeans and milo

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0227-1.jpg

I normally shoot for around the 1st of May when planting my soybeans (this past spring we had a hard frost May 9th) but the record breaking rainfall kept me out of the field until nearly June. No big deal for the early maturing milo and soybeans but it does mean they are still very green and growing September 1st....right when I want to overseed winter rye and forage radish.

There are a few places where deer killed the soys by grazing them to the ground before the fence got put up so I went ahead and broadcasted rye and GroundHog forage radish Friday, September 3rd focusing on the spots in the field that had a little "daylight" reaching the ground.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0221.jpg

On the plus side....soil and seed will not be exposed to hot baking mid day sun and surface moisture will be more abundant. Given enough rain to germinate seed, they will have a better chance of surviving until roots can reach deeper into the soil.

On the minus side they may suffer from lack of sunlight if they root and begin to grow before leaves begin to yellow and drop. Our average first frost here in SE Iowa is October 5th...a month away so we'll see how this plays out but clearly there is a distinct advantage to planting at least a portion of ones bean plots to early maturing beans to allow for overseeding rye and radish as leaves drop.

The soys are filling up with pods behind the fence!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0238.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0232-1.jpg

The milo itself needs no protection but this pic shows how easy it will be to add a third wire at the top of 6 or 6 1/2' T posts to help thwart "jumpers"

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0233-1.jpg

Most of the WGF milo is 40 to 60" tall and the occasional forage sorhgum sticking up gives one a better idea of height

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0239.jpg

Right now the soys are still vulnerable to my "midnight marauders" so I'm planning on waiting til the soys start to yellow before dropping the fence down... ;)

[letemgrow]

I wish my fence would stay up like that! I have tried peanut butter in aluminum foil hanging on the poly wire and still have to hang it back up every time since the deer monster truck my fence. Whats your secret on how you get the electric to last?

[dbltree]

I wish my fence would stay up like that! I have tried peanut butter in aluminum foil hanging on the poly wire and still have to hang it back up every time since the deer monster truck my fence. Whats your secret on how you get the electric to last?

You mean they have been running into it an knocking it down? I was afraid they would do that to mine but never had a problem. Have you tried tying flagging tape to it to make it more visable?

I broadcasted winter rye and forage radish into my standing beans and milo nearly two weeks ago now, the beans were still green and the canopy pretty heavy but I went ahead and gave it a shot. I checked them September 15th and both rye and radish seeds had germinated although if you look closely you can see a few seeds on the soil ungerminated yet.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0025.jpg

I was relieved to see that the beans had indeed turned and were drying down although the over all canopy is still heavy

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0024.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0023-1.jpg

The pods are drying but looking into the background you can see the ground is still quite shaded

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0022-1.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0020-1.jpg

By design almost nothing in this plot is palatable at this point, the milo is bitter and the beans not yet ripe and deer busy feeding yards away on lush rye and pea plots.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/IMG_0018.jpg

At this point I can safely take the fence down or at least the ends and allow deer time to figure out it safe to enter yet not worry about the plot being decimated to early.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/IMG_0017.jpg

Given another 2 weeks the rye and radish will out on some decent growth and attract whitetails as gradually the beans become palatable and later the milo and the whole combination will provide a plethora of food sources literally all winter long.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Soybeans/IMG_0020.jpg

For those of you who enjoy enhancing habitat for both deer and upland birds, the milo/soybean combo is outstanding! For deer alone, corn and beans are probably a better option but we'll see how deer utilize the milo as we get into cold weather... :way:

[dbltree]

October 4th 2010

Keeping food plots screened and close to bedding cover is extremely important and I think this picture illustrates that well. Standing in the milo you can see it's surrounded by tall NWSG and the timber beyond is thick with hinge cut areas so deer adapt to living on my property where all their needs are met...food, bedding and safety.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0028.jpg

I've taken the fence down along the ends of the milo/soybean plot but as you can see they were never without a food source with white clover, falcata alfalfa and red clover plots ringing the milo/soybean plot.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0030-1.jpg

Back I early September I overseeded winter rye and groundhog forage radish into the standing beans and milo, all still heavily canopied. Thanks to heavy rains the seed all germinated but it's starving for sun

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0023-2.jpg

Had this been soybeans only there would be far less canopy but we had a pretty stout frost last night so hopefully we'll have more sun reaching ground level soon.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0020-2.jpg

It's time to hunt and stay the heck out of the plots now so I probably won't check on this plot for a while now but I do know that deer are already pouring into the milo and beans...to see what they've been missing.... ;)

[dbltree]

I am truly blessed now, to have both my farms in the CRP program so that my fields will all be in NWSG to provide more cover and further insulate my food plots.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0067.jpg

The NWSG's provide whitetails with so much security close to their food sources that they scarcely leave.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0068.jpg

They were hitting the white clover hard next to the fenced end to the milo/soybean plot....

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0069.jpg

so when I took the end down they immediately started using the plot ending any worries I had previously about them figuring out it was safe to enter.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0070.jpg

The foxtail around the field edge has beaten down runways leading into the milo and beans

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0072.jpg

I quietly slipped along the NWSG and stuck a trail cam up near the plot entrance to see what kind of activity is entering the plot.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0073.jpg

The milo/soybean combination is so thick it is more akin to a jungle and I expect many deer are now just living in there. With the rut only weeks away....things should get interesting.... ;)

[dbltree]

November 11th, 2010

I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and brisk wind to slip out and check out the milo and soybean plot. They have pretty well worn runways heading into it...

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0046.jpg

The heads are already picked clean along the end

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0047.jpg

Hopefully there is enough left to last until the first of the year but it may be iffy

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0048.jpg

They are still pounding the Alice white clover plot planted in front of the milo plot also

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0049.jpg

I picked up an Gallagher S17 Solar (http://www.gallagherusa.com/electric-fencing/permanent.component.aspx?mktprodid=874) energizer on sale the other day for a different plot in my home farm next year.

I'll be planting separate plots of RR corn and soybeans rather then milo now that I have confidence in the electric fence... our free RR corn and soybean seed is already in storage... ;)

[SEIowaDeerslayer]

Jeez Paul you may have to keep that fence up until late season next year! Unbelievable how your deer wear out your plots.

[dbltree]

December 13th, 2010

I set up a Wildview cam at the entrance to my milo/soybean plot hoping to get some great pics of deer using the plot. The last time I checked it I was disappointed to find that it apparently isn't working properly so I decided to run over and change cams today.

Only about 12 degrees for a high so I went over right after lunch figuring that the deer would be well away from the area bedded down for the day. As I drove in the dirt road I noticed it was strangely absent of fresh tracks that usually cross it from end to end and as I walked along the switchgrass I began to figure out why...they were just living right there!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0026-1.jpg

Still...my brain obviously numbed by the cold it never occurred to me that deer would actually be feeding in the middle of the day in the milo so when I saw "something" that didn't belong in the milo it took a minute to register....Dah!! Sunny day after a blizzard and bitter cold weather....they were doing exactly what I had hoped they would!

I slipped up to the custom built Lick Creek Blind and just enjoyed watching the deer...warm as toast in there too with the sun shining on it!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0027-2.jpg

I hadn't planned on taking pictures of deer so unfortunately didn't have my telephoto lens

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0016-2.jpg

At least one buck and a number of does were chowing down on the milo and soybeans

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0019-3.jpg

At 1:00 in the afternoon no less!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0023-3.jpg

Late muzzy season is only a week away so the cam change will have to wait and my next trip will include not only a different lens but a scoped muzzy too boot!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0024-1.jpg

The blind has only been there a few weeks but deer had already adjusted to it and the rye was full of fresh tracks only feet away!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0025-1.jpg

There's nothing like the feeling one gets when a habitat plan comes together! Milo and soybeans protected by electric fence, overseeded with winter rye and forage radish...surrounded by dense NWSG...deer feel safe feeding in broad daylight literally in the middle of the day!

Man...you can't beat that with a stick! :way:

[Scooter1]

Looks like you got the setup....

[Skully]

Good stuff Paul! Makes all the hard work seem worth it:way:

[dbltree]

December 27th, 2010

I've come to realize that whitetails are a little like women...just when I think I have them figured out, they do what I least expected... :rolleyes::D

We got probably 6" of snow on Christmas Eve so I really expected increased activity in the milo/soybean planting and while that was true I was surprised to watch most of the deer furiously digging in the Alice white clover only feet from the milo??

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_0034.jpg

By early afternoon I noticed deer slipping under the fence (rather then walk to the area it has been removed)

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/Milo1.jpg

Activity picked up as the afternoon wore on...notice the deer with nose pointed upward as they strip the milo heads.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/Milo4.jpg

All the deer that entered the milo plot came from the same bedding area and upon entering the milo...soon disappeared with not so much as a glimpse of them again for the day.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/Milo3.jpg

I used the 3 wire/2fence version this past spring but I am going to the 5 wire/2 fence this coming spring. I watched a huge deer approached the fence and make an easy clean leap over both of them!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/Milo5.jpg

He was much farther away, yet was clearly visible in the milo for a time...after enlarging the picture at home I can see he had already shed one side (or broke it off earlier)

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/Milo6.jpg

Very interesting to observe deer that have a number of food source options and their choices of each. I never expected them to choose rye and clover over the beans and milo yet many refused to even look at the milo. Others never looked at the rye and clover and obviously were bedding right beside the "kitchen" in a bedding area except for a few hours spent hinging each winter.

These deer are not traveling but with observation, easily patterned and it would be a simple matter to slip close enough to kill them with the muzzy. The milo is tall enough that it is impossible to be certain how many deer may be in the plot as I can only see the deer that enter from one side. We have a late January antlerless season in which a number of shed bucks are killed each year so having a steady source of feed to hold deer on my property gives some assurance that bucks I have allowed to walk will not be inadvertently killed.

Many landowners overlook the value and importance of providing year around food sources to help hold deer on their property, choosing instead to only offer a food source for hunting season. I want my farms to provide everything a whitetail needs all year long so that living there becomes a...habit... ;)

[dbltree]

March 1, 2011

Checked the milo/soybean plot the other day...pretty well stripped clean!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/M1.jpg

Nothing left but some bedding cover perhaps

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/M3.jpg

A few tidbits for the birds

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/M4.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/M5.jpg

But lot's of evidence of who ate the milo!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/M6.jpg

The rye I overseeded into the standing milo is evident now

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/RinM1.jpg

and will provide some early spring grazing before I till it under for the next crop

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/RinM2.jpg

Milo has some advantages for those who struggle to grow other crops and prefer to avoid fencing and makes great bird cover to boot! :way:

[dbltree]

September 16th, 2011

We planted a mix of both grain and forage sorghum from Pheasants Forever in between the rows of a tree planting in early July. Earlier planting was prevented due to wet weather and after planting we did not receive a drop of rain until August 30th which is interesting because we can show the significance of utilizing diversified crops that help prevent a total failure due to weather related problems.

I had planted a few rows in June but it failed due to drowning and after 4 years of wet spring/summer weather I took it for granted that 2011 would be more of the same and simply tilled in 200#'s or urea per acre, broadcasted 6-8#'s of milo seed and cultipacked to cover. Had I lightly incorporated the seed, germination would have been swift and growth more robust but because it laid on the top 1/4" of soil and received no rain...it was a tough go and much of it took weeks to germinate and in fact some did not germinate until a significant rain event n late August. I sprayed with atrazine at the maximum allowable rate which is not enough by itself to control pigweed which happily germinated while the milo was delayed although no other weeds were a problem.

Here you can see the dramatic height difference between the forage varieties and the shorter grain srghums

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_6048.jpg

In no case did the pigweed have any real effect on the sorghum

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_6049.jpg

and the severe drought did not have any effect on the growth of the sorghum once germinated

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_6050.jpg

The short grain sorghum or milo is producing some great, highly attractive grain heads, although they are attractive to both deer and birds of all shapes and sizes!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/dbltree/Milo/IMG_6051.jpg

Some high points are this...

1) Milo can be planted very late and still provide a great source of fall and winter food. Wild Game Food sorghum requires only 60 days to mature and is far less likely to suffer predation by deer then corn or beans.

2) Milo is extremely drought resistant, although less so on sandy dry soils where it should be planted earlier and slightly deeper (2" deep in sand) so this makes mile a viable option in drought prone areas or areas where wet spring weather prevents the planting of longer season crops such as corn.

3) Milo can out compete most weeds if you can provide some initial control with atrazine or simazine is used and if row planted cultivation can be used until plants are high enough to out compete weeds.

4) Like corn, sorghum provides both cover and food but if the shorter grain sorghum is used it is far less susceptible to wind damage. If high tannin milo's are planted, wildlife will not eat the grain until frosts and freezes sweeten the grain which helps insure the grain will be there during hunting season!

More information on the subject of growing milo at this link:

Growing grain sorghum (http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/sorghum.html)

Seed sources:

Sorghum Seed (http://www.welterseed.com/productItems.aspx?id=12&org=0)

PF Blizzard Buster seed (http://www.pfstore.org/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=54&products_id=1204)

PF Covey Rise seed (http://www.pfstore.org/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=54&products_id=1205)

Milo loves nitrogen so plan on using 200#'s pr acre of 46-0-0 urea tilled in at planting for best results... ;)

[letemgrow]

Grant Woods had a corn failure and a very bad drought. He planted Milo and it looks great!! Great addition to fill any gaps created by the weather if corn or beans do not take and it is getting late.

Here is the video link of Grant talking about the milo.

http://www.growingdeer.tv/episode/90

[DH1]

I was looking over some of the pictures from late last winter, looks like the snow is a little later this year…

Are deer using the Milo much yet this winter?
Would the WGF Sorghum still get some nice seed heads if it was planted by late August? Would it work well with rye?

Next fall I was thinking about trying a rotation of the rye mix in one plot and then a rye mix with Wild Game Food Sorghum or Pacer Hybrid Forage Brassica in the other.

- I have limited equipment, so I think I could just spray and broadcast with these mixes (no tilling)
- It is difficult to get to my planting site (300 miles one way) so this would allow me to fertilize and plant just once a year.

Cons - So I would be giving up some of the brassicas (turnips only), but I don’t have the equip to do these well any way.

Pros- Seems like the deer would have some nice late winter options. Would feed some turkeys too.

[dbltree]

Would the WGF Sorghum still get some nice seed heads if it was planted by late August? Would it work well with rye?

No and no...sorghum is like corn and needs to be planted at least by early July at the latest and preferably in May. It performs best with herbicides to control weeds and needs plenty of nitrogen.

[hotshott2289]

This thread made for a great read. Very very informative as we used to plant some when we pheasant hunted but this year we are going back to it to hopefully add some cover closer to the food plots. Hopefully it will work half as well as yours did!

[skyleralan]

We are going to put some milo in this year, suppose to get planted in the next couple of weeks or so. I will keep you guys updated.

[hornhntr]

I have put it in for several years but once the head turns the deer and birds eat it all in no time, usually by mid Oct. Got mine from welters.