Milo, buckwheat, atrazine questions

[Daver]

I have three smaller plots, each is about 1/2 to 1 acre in size, that I had been planning on planting milo in this year. With the continued wet weather, these fields have not yet been planted though. Note, we were able to get a couple of other spots just like them drilled in one day, so I will have some milo coming on even if these remaining spots are too wet to plant.

In preparation for what I thought was going to be milo though, I had mowed these areas short, let them grow back a little and then hit them hard with gly. They were dead, dead and then I also sprayed atrazine on them about 10 days ago.

My question is this...if the rain prevents them from being seeded to milo, can I go "alternate plan B" and plant buckwheat? I know I can, but will the atrazine impact buckwheat?

My main purpose for these plots is quail, pheasant and turkey.

 

[Sligh1]

I'd still plant milo or something in that category. Egyptian wheat seeded in next week or 2 will have seed heads for sure so I'm going to guess most of what u plant in sorghum/milo category could still do ok. Not sure on buckwheat. I'd read atrazine label on it. Or Google buckwheat, atrazine. If it were mine for ur purpose- I'd Do a mix of sorghums & milos. Plenty of N down- I think u have time left. Worst case- it'll still be lot of cover.

 

[Rutcon]

The ISU site has good info on buckwheat and it is atrazine sensitive. Check the maturity date on your milo some varieties mature in 90 days or less. You then would be good to plant until around July 10-15. If there was no atrazine buckwheat would be a great choice for your birds. Best planting date being July 15-30

 

[Daver]

Thanks guys, new plan...I am going to leave the milo prepped areas alone for now and hope to get milo in them yet once it dries out enough.

Then, I am going to add a couple of buckwheat spots in adjacent locations and just let them grow for the balance of the season and leave them stand through the fall and see what happens.

 

[Daver]

The ISU site has good info on buckwheat and it is atrazine sensitive. Check the maturity date on your milo some varieties mature in 90 days or less. You then would be good to plant until around July 10-15. If there was no atrazine buckwheat would be a great choice for your birds. Best planting date being July 15-30

Thinking about this a little more...last year I had some milo that was pretty much mature by mid-September'ish and I was a little bummed when the migrating blackbirds marauded the field and ate A LOT of the seed heads that I had hoped would be there for the quail and pheasants.

Perhaps a later planting date for the milo, like I am facing now, could be a blessing in disguise...as the seed heads may not be as attractive to the blackbird swarms heading south for the winter??? Since I now have two milo plots that were planted right around June 10th and the remaining three plots will be at least 2 weeks later than that, and maybe 3+, I should have the opportunity to compare/contrast the two "vintages" this fall and see if there is a difference.

Meanwhile, I will plant 2 or 3 plots to buckwheat and see what happens with those. I did plant 2 plots to buckwheat earlier this spring and they came in awesome, but I don't plan on leaving them for the fall. Both will be converted to fall plantings, one brassicas, one rye/mix.