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What corn and bean seed?

madplotter

PMA Member
looking for some corn and bean seed to plant for plots this year. Up until now I have begged and bought what ever I could from farmers but looking to do something more directed at plot grains. Anyone recommend a good fit that is readily accessible? I pretty much have to be able to spray for weed control but other than that I am open.
 
Used to be able to buy RR corn at rural king, not sure if you still can. Co-op probably sells generic kind. Seems like beans are easier to come by and you could also get co-op ones or buy deer on the bag ones. Co-op might be best best if you are doing a lot of acres and money matters.

In regards to real world beans, have planted several acres of the RR ones right next to my enlist ag beans for two years now and noticed zero preferability between the two once defoliated. The deer definitely browse the RW ones harder in the summer, but I plant beans for the fall/winter food. The RW beans are also a much "richer" gold yellowish plant and bean, which idk if that means anything but seemed worth noting. Seems as if the "shatter resistant" pods on the RW make them harder and less attractive? Not sure, just my observation. I was excited to try them but really wasn't super impressed, which was surprising given all of the hype. They aren't bad beans and deer will eat them, my deer just didn't seem to care. Will no longer be planting them, especially at over $40 more per bag than ag beans.
 
I planted 2 acres of rw beans. They did hold up well to browse. I had them fenced but I don’t really know how much of a deterrent it was once the plants got big. If they are shatter resistant I’d hate to see what they’d do if they weren’t. I was walking around my fence late season on a day with clear skies and a very light, slow wind. Thought I heard rain even tho the sky was clear. Finally realized it was beans falling from the pod to the ground. Dirt looked like I’d been out in the plot trying to broadcast more seed. They were all gone the next spring but laying on the ground isn’t what I was hoping for
 
I have some free gmo corn if anyone needs some. S of Des Moines or Urbandale. RR.
Corn, IMO is far less fussy than beans. I have never seen a corn variety deer didn’t pound.
On beans….. if someone wanted to “buy locally” as they had a fairly clever salesman …. Ask for a LARGE bean. Longer maturity most likely. That alone will get you what u need 75% of the time. I personally would do no insecticidal treatment. I WOULD add inoculation bacteria to the seed, especially if it’s not been in production. But I’d pry do anyways.
I can’t stress this one enough…. For ANY bean…. You need your PH like 6.5 to 7. At a bare minimum if you are below that…. Put out as much pelletized lime as you are able (adjusts PH but also adds lots of Calcium). Like say, > 200 lbs. you should have soil sample but if you are skipping it, I’d still run 65-65 on p&k to be safe. Probably more inportantly… 1-2 lbs each of: Boron, zinc & copper. 15 lbs of sulfur. Most coops can blend this in a cart. The micros they can’t blend can be sprayed in a foliar spray.
The reason I say all this…. The PH, calcium & micros will define the nutrients (or lack there of) & flavor of the beans. Don’t do it - bland unhealthy & lacking flavor - deer won’t eat. Fix it- taste & nutrition will be wildly different.
A big soft chewy bean with proper nutrients will be loved & targeted by deer. A small dense, brittle bean with no flavor & nutrients will have critters skipping past them. It truly is that big a difference. Bean variety & FERTILITY are HUGE & why we see some fields pounded & others untouched. It sounds like a lot of work but it’s not. Tell the coop what u want or search for a coop that can get all these things …. Mix & spread or worst case come back with spray for the micros. Easier than anyone realizes.
 
2024 soil test. I did hit it hard with nutrients last year and ended up not planting anything.
 

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2024 soil test. I did hit it hard with nutrients last year and ended up not planting anything.
That’s actually really good soil. Probably had either corn or maybe hay cut off it where depleted Phosphorus but that’s easy fix…. Be obvious one to get a good bit on if haven’t.
One field needs K. The rest…. PH isn’t bad & your Organic matter is good. Could run some gypsum for sulfur & calcium or just sulfur.
I would add 15-25 lbs of sulfur. U didn’t test for all these but id add 1-2 lbs of boron, zinc & copper.
This soil is not bad at all & on the easier side of fixing.
 
I'm planting a non GMO corn this year. Has had some really good yield data. Obviously not harvesting, but the more corn per acre the longer it lasts.

I don't spray corn post anyway so non GMO an option. Acuron herbicide keeps it darn clean all year.
 
That’s actually really good soil. Probably had either corn or maybe hay cut off it where depleted Phosphorus but that’s easy fix…. Be obvious one to get a good bit on if haven’t.
One field needs K. The rest…. PH isn’t bad & your Organic matter is good. Could run some gypsum for sulfur & calcium or just sulfur.
I would add 15-25 lbs of sulfur. U didn’t test for all these but id add 1-2 lbs of boron, zinc & copper.
This soil is not bad at all & on the easier side of fixing.

Thank you Skip. Will do it this weekend...

On another note, I have been watching Ag Phd for a while now and they have some great content. They have been hitting on organic matter quite a bit this past year. They claim in order to build organic matter you have to keep tillage to minimum. Every time you till they say you introduce higher oxygen levels and that causes the organic matter to decay This is the opposite I thought it would be. I know it is a bit more complicated but just an interesting tidbit.
 
I went with a Pioneer enlist soybean 3.7..For corn, I went with a standard Pioneer roundup ready variety. What do you guys like for a pre emergent on the corn and beans?
 
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