Everything Soybeans

[Snail3496]

Skip's recent social post addressed soybeans and some things that might cause deer to prefer one variety over another. Would bet vast majority of people don't even realize that there are many options when it comes to soybeans. I love hearing & learning what observations guys have seen over the years and couldn't find a specific thread.

Personally I've started down the rabbit hole over the last couple seasons and am still learning. I plant around 15ac of soybeans a year and have been tinkering with any different bean I can get my hands on. Different maturity, oil content, chemical treatment, etc. One thing I didn't know until Skips post was insecticide treatment being a no no? What's the reasoning there?

 

[Sligh1]

Here’s the video I think anyone can click on.
1) I am personally a “bit nervous” about insecticides. Imidacloprid is the systemic insecticide used on all beans. There’s a lot of chatter & “some evidence” that is showing it’s a “problem”. With that said - is every bean field around me full of it? YEP! I Personally just don’t want them on my plots they will eat until March. The yield difference is not a huge deal & if it’s gets bad- I’d rather do a one time spray of a different insecticide. See video in bottom as one example.

2) oil content is “possibly” a marketing gimmick. Not 100% sure. Here’s the deal or why…. I met with 2 big bean breeders… their oil contents had very minor differences between lowest & highest contents. Tannin content would be more impactful than oil. Seed size, density & weight are going to trump all. Beans are bred for small dense beans to yield higher weights per bushel. The old beans were bigger, softer & less dense. They weighed less. That’s what I want. Soft flavorful beans. Heirloom beans be a great place to play around in. Later maturing in most cases.
3) lime/calcium (proper PH) & micros will impact flavor to a huge degree.
I’ll stop there so don’t write a novel

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Neonics on soybeans:

 

[TheBig8]

Skip do you have different beans in that planter? Are you just running different maturity dates or experimenting with the things you talk about in the video?

On a side note, I've read where several people state that deer don't browse on the leaves of enlist beans as often as they do other varieties. I didn't notice that problem last year on my fields with enlist beans, plenty of browse pressure.

 

[Bassattackr]

On a side note, I've read where several people state that deer don't browse on the leaves of enlist beans as often as they do other varieties. I didn't notice that problem last year on my fields with enlist beans, plenty of browse pressure.

Studies show deer prefer non GMO / conventional beans over GMO varieties. Kind of what Skip is alluding to above. The further we get away from the original, the less desireable it seems they are for wildlife. A bonus for the ag community perhaps, not for the food plotter.

I've been playing with a non-GMO Asgrow conventional bean in my bean/milo mix, should be drilling in later today if all goes well. Second year planting, had good browse pressure on them last year. Although I use the beans as a summer food until the grain sorghum gets heads later in the year. Any beans that make it to maturity are just a bonus..

 

[tall@wide]

On a side note, I've read where several people state that deer don't browse on the leaves of enlist beans as often as they do other varieties. I didn't notice that problem last year on my fields with enlist beans, plenty of browse pressure.

My enlist beans this year are getting hammered. It's hard to get growth on them with about 12 acres planted. It would almost be a good thing if deer didn't eat them so much to help in getting them established better.

 

[Farm boy]

My enlist beans this year are getting hammered. It's hard to get growth on them with about 12 acres planted. It would almost be a good thing if deer didn't eat them so much to help in getting them established better.

My enlist beans getting hammered also.
52 acre field back 10 acres lots of deer pressure.
Need to check my non enlist.

 

[Sligh1]

Skip do you have different beans in that planter? Are you just running different maturity dates or experimenting with the things you talk about in the video?

On a side note, I've read where several people state that deer don't browse on the leaves of enlist beans as often as they do other varieties. I didn't notice that problem last year on my fields with enlist beans, plenty of browse pressure.

Ya- I ran 3 bags in the bottom of the drill & then covered them with a 2nd variety. It won’t be perfect but I planted first 3 acres that way. The real way to do it is to fill drill with one variety & then change to next. But this will work fine.

Enlist not getting browsed….. hmmmmm. My gut reaction…. I bet it’s the hybrid someone picked and not the fact that it’s enlist. Think about sweet corn varieties…. U buy “6 different types of “THE BEST” & anyone reading this will say “those 2 aren’t good. Mushy. Don’t buy that again!” I Sure could be wrong on hybrids but I bet not…. I’ll bet some varieties of enlist will get hit harder than others. Heck- late season I’ve had test plots where you could see one variety was a gray color, other was brown … & deer preference was vastly different. Both enlist- just very different hybrids. The other things that COULD be in play …. The seed treatment. Different insecticides & fungicides. Another big variable that’s really hard to grasp…. There’s a lot of new deficiencies in soils… sulfur being the main one…. 20 years ago vs today- almost any soil test is wildly low on sulfur. I’m grasping at straws on this. Back to original preface…. Low on sulfur, calcium, PH off, etc etc - those plants will be grazed far less.

Proper full fertility & PH with proper micros & macros on “good soil” - I can’t express how important this is for any plant & for a huge list of reasons. For ATTRACTION & deer reasons only… I’ll use this analogy…. Go get a low priced apple at Walmart or Hyvee. Stuff that’s grown in S America or not an area typically known for great apple production. The soil is usually “junk” & they throw the least amount of P&K out as possible. Usually no micros applied & the soil is naturally low on nutrients. Your apple will taste “ok”. Go take the exact same variety of apple…. Eat one off a tree in iowa soil. Rich dark soil & especially if u added micros & macros. Your brain will instantly recognize that flavor & nutrients. The apple tastes vastly better. When I eat apples or pears out of my orchards- mind boggling good. Store bought- eahhh. Ok- those nutrition differences & reaction Same thing with deer x10+++. Their brains are programmed for max nutrition. Deer selectively browse for healthiest most nutrient dense plants that they can find. Watch em in a clover or weed field - they don’t devour everything like a cow. They are incredibly fussy & carefully browse the most nutritious & flavorful plants they can find. Beans are same thing. Deer are fussy & will seek the best.
Bottom line- keep experimenting with beans, get biggest & I might even try varieties from 20-30+ years ago. Get nutrients right. All this done vs the dude not doing it - night & day IMO. Very much worth the effort at beginning. Alternative is being the dude that spent time & $ to grow inferior beans & sit there going “why are they hardly touching my beans?!?”

& sorry on long long novel…. I would try non-enlist beans. Try some heirloom or old varieties. I bet a guy could get some varieties of the 90’s that are RR & deer love.

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

I just drilled 4 acres of beans into 4 acres of beans I already drilled a month ago. Getting hammered to death. Surrounding ag didn't get planted on the early window so the plot was getting absolutely hammered.

Pioneer 35T15E (enlist). I've never personally experienced the situation of deer not eating them but know several people that have. Maybe it's as simple as getting your soil nutrients correct?

 

[Bucksnbears]

No real input on small plot beans but, I'm in superb ag area and I can drive miles and seldom see deer feeding in beans until sometime in July.
But when it happens, it's like a switch got turned on.
2 months of growth, not a deer. Next day and until dry down time, deer galore? Weird.

 

[Hardwood11]

We went heavy on the soybeans on one farm in Minnesota to target one buck . He’s a tank and I’m crossing my fingers that he made if #1 & that we can keep him on our 150 acre farm as much as possible!