Eagle soybeans

[JCDEERMAN]

I wanna hear from some of the folks that planted them earlier this year: 8 Points or better, richmanbbq, seaton0024.

Could you guys post some pics of what they look like now? That would be great if you can. If not, how did they hold up throughout the season as far as any action in them? Did they hit them hard at all here in the later part of deer season?

There was a 50 acre soybean field planted about 1 1/2 miles from our place earlier this year in a bottom with clearcut ridges all around them. Everyone we talked to down there said that there were numerous bucks seen bedded on those clearcut points hanging all around that bean field. The beans were cut, but they said the deer were going down there and pulling the roots out of the ground and hitting them hard in the evenings and early mornings. Several big bucks were killed there and a few monsters seen. I know they had to be pulling some of our bucks that way. Seems thats where all the does were whenever I drove through there.

I have NO experience with soybeans and have never planted them, but we were thinking about trying them out this spring. Any info is appreciated

 

[muddyboots]

Cant with to get me some for this year.

 

[landman]

I wanna hear from some of the folks that planted them earlier this year: 8 Points or better, richmanbbq, seaton0024.

Could you guys post some pics of what they look like now? That would be great if you can. If not, how did they hold up throughout the season as far as any action in them? Did they hit them hard at all here in the later part of deer season?

There was a 50 acre soybean field planted about 1 1/2 miles from our place earlier this year in a bottom with clearcut ridges all around them. Everyone we talked to down there said that there were numerous bucks seen bedded on those clearcut points hanging all around that bean field. The beans were cut, but they said the deer were going down there and pulling the roots out of the ground and hitting them hard in the evenings and early mornings. Several big bucks were killed there and a few monsters seen. I know they had to be pulling some of our bucks that way. Seems thats where all the does were whenever I drove through there.

I have NO experience with soybeans and have never planted them, but we were thinking about trying them out this spring. Any info is appreciated

The first question is, has there been soybeans planted in that 50 acre field before? Soybeans will draw and hold deer in the summer no matter what type and brand. I planted 6 acres of eagle beans, but the deer never let them get over 2" high.

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

When that last dry spell hit late last summer they cleaned ours, and we replanted with winter rye and crimson clover. JCDeerman I'll PM you some pics.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I dont believe they have ever been planted there. Logic would say with no crops planted within 10 miles of there for years, it was obviously highly preffered and "something new" that they werent accustomed to. They werent there just during the summer, but all season long....long after they had been cut.

We are usually the only place around that grows anything most years. This is the first year in a decade that we didnt plant anything. We couldnt get a lime truck out in time, so we were going to save the funds for this coming years plantings. As we did that, the 50 acre soybean field was planted as the only crop or any type of food plot planted anywhere around for miles

 

[JCDEERMAN]

When that last dry spell hit late last summer they cleaned ours, and we replanted with winter rye and crimson clover. JCDeerman I'll PM you some pics.

Fire away

 

[richmanbarbeque]

I'll post some pics tonight.

 

[tn droptine]

Justin planted a little over 4 acres of Eagles on my property this spring. Got to hand it to the Eagles tho, despite constant browse pressure (most of my plants didnt get more than 8" tall), they would not die off and kept putting on new growth! I even ended with a few bean pods on most of the plants. I'll post links to the threads that show the beans in different parts of the year. They were planted May 20th.
Month after Planting:
http://www.tndeer.com/tndeertalk/ubbthr ... ost2421138
Two months:
http://www.tndeer.com/tndeertalk/ubbthr ... ost2427075
Four months:
http://www.tndeer.com/tndeertalk/ubbthr ... ost2530577
Beans with pods (November):
http://www.tndeer.com/tndeertalk/ubbthr ... ost2671501

 

[jmb4wd]

I only have one growing season's experience, but they seem to be very hearty, and can survive heavy browse pressure, as noted by TNDroptine.

Here a few pics of them on my place.

 

[Football Hunter]

That looks great,wish I had room for em,small patches would get killed at my place.

 

[Boone 58]

 

[BSK]

That looks great,wish I had room for em,small patches would get killed at my place.

Same here, although once we have our food plot acreage expanded to around 2% of our property, we might give them a try. Of course, that will probably be the year we experience another summer drought and all that expense will be for nothing.

In fact, that's the one reason I don't always recommend them. If all or the majority of a property's food plot acreage is upland or ridge-top, a significant risk exists of losing the crop to dry summer weather, and that would be a very expensive failure.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

That looks great,wish I had room for em,small patches would get killed at my place.

Same here, although once we have our food plot acreage expanded to around 2% of our property, we might give them a try. Of course, that will probably be the year we experience another summer drought and all that expense will be for nothing.

Thats our luck as well. But thats right where we're at right now. We now have about 3% of our property that can be planted. It's roughly about 16-17 acres total with fields ranging 1-4 acres in size. What are your long-range weather forecasts for this summer?

 

[richmanbarbeque]

You guys worrying about drought are worrying to much. I have had them in during drought condition and they do fine. Of course they look nothing like when we good rain but it won't be a failure like other food plots would be.

I would plant them late April early May and sit back and enjoy. I do not have enough acreage to justify having them but I have learned a ton and plan on having them again this year.

 

[BSK]

Richman,

Aren't your largest plots all in the bottom of the valley? HUGE difference in soil moisture retention from the bottom of a valley to thin-soiled ridge-top plot.


During a 6-8 week drought, not even clover will survive in my ridge-top plots.

 

[DWM]

You guys worrying about drought are worrying to much. I have had them in during drought condition and they do fine. Of course they look nothing like when we good rain but it won't be a failure like other food plots would be.

I would plant them late April early May and sit back and enjoy. I do not have enough acreage to justify having them but I have learned a ton and plan on having them again this year.

I agree. Early planting is the key to overcoming a drought. I would plant beans as early as possible after the danger of frost is over. I am limited to planting after 15th of April due to insurance. I had some dry ridge top beans make 50 bu acre this past season. They were planted in April. Most people in this area planted later and made 30bu or less. The earlier they get up and get a good canopy the more moisture they conserve. Also no-til planting will help conserve the moisture.

Now about the Eagle beans, I do not believe it is the brand that is giving some of you the big benefits. I believe it is more about what maturity of the bean your using. The Eagle is a group 7 if I'm not mistaken and most of what you buy at the Co-op will be an early group 5 or earlier. Your not comparing apples to apples. They can get a later group seed if you ask. A group 6 planted at around 180- 200,000 will make a huge difference in the way they grow as compared to a late group 4 or an early group 5. My guess is you won't notice a difference in the way the deer respond but you pocket book might. Just wondering how much is it costing to get a bag of eagle seed and how many seed are in a bag?

 

[BSK]

You guys worrying about drought are worrying to much. I have had them in during drought condition and they do fine. Of course they look nothing like when we good rain but it won't be a failure like other food plots would be.

I would plant them late April early May and sit back and enjoy. I do not have enough acreage to justify having them but I have learned a ton and plan on having them again this year.

I agree. Early planting is the key to overcoming a drought. I would plant beans as early as possible after the danger of frost is over. I am limited to planting after 15th of April due to insurance. I had some dry ridge top beans make 50 bu acre this past season. They were planted in April. Most people in this area planted later and made 30bu or less. The earlier they get up and get a good canopy the more moisture they conserve. Also no-til planting will help conserve the moisture.

I think you may be missing the point of Eagle soybeans. They aren't intended to produce beans. They are intended to produce foliage (leaves). When grown in decent-quality soils with adequate soil moisture, Eagle soybeans will grow 5-6 feet tall and produce 3 to 4 times the leaf material of most ag soybeans.

 

[DWM]

You guys worrying about drought are worrying to much. I have had them in during drought condition and they do fine. Of course they look nothing like when we good rain but it won't be a failure like other food plots would be.

I would plant them late April early May and sit back and enjoy. I do not have enough acreage to justify having them but I have learned a ton and plan on having them again this year.

I agree. Early planting is the key to overcoming a drought. I would plant beans as early as possible after the danger of frost is over. I am limited to planting after 15th of April due to insurance. I had some dry ridge top beans make 50 bu acre this past season. They were planted in April. Most people in this area planted later and made 30bu or less. The earlier they get up and get a good canopy the more moisture they conserve. Also no-til planting will help conserve the moisture.

I think you may be missing the point of Eagle soybeans. They aren't intended to produce beans. They are intended to produce foliage (leaves). When grown in decent-quality soils with adequate soil moisture, Eagle soybeans will grow 5-6 feet tall and produce 3 to 4 times the leaf material of most ag soybeans.

No I'm not missing the point. I think you was the one missing the point. I was only using the yield as a measurement because I have no other way to post a measurement of the results. Anytime beans get a higher grain yield you can rest assured the plant was also better and healthier. My point was they had to have moisture to make the yield and early planting on the ridge top was key to conserving moisture. My early planted mid group 4 ridge top beans consistently yield in the 50 bushel range planted at 130,000 and get 4 ft tall and so thick you cant walk in them. My later planted late 4 beans on good ground get 5ft tall and yield in the 70 range. The thing about beans is the later group you plant, the thicker they are planted and the earlier they are planted will all equal taller higher forage producing plants. I could bump my population up on a later group bean planted early and easily get a 6 ft tall bean.

How are you measuring the leaf material to know your getting 3 to 4 times that of ag beans and are you comparing equal maturity beans?

 

[BSK]

I was only using the yield as a measurement because I have no other way to post a measurement of the results. Anytime beans get a higher grain yield you can rest assured the plant was also better and healthier.

That is NOT an accurate statement. You cannot compare bean yields for a forage variety versus a bean-producing variety. They have been ciltivated to produce different things.

But I do agree with your theory of planting early to produce an earlier canopy, which reduces soil moisture loss in mid-summer.

In the next year or two I'm going to give them a try on dry ridge-tops and see what I get. There can be a real difference in soil quality/moisture retention between different ridge-top soils, especially when considering soil depth and chert layers.

 

[jmb4wd]

I would think that if you did one of those dry matter yeild test between Eagle Forage beans and Ag beans planted the same time that the Forage beans would win hands down, and probably would through out the growing season . Afterall for wildlife that is what we desire the green leafy forage, and not so much pod and bean production.

Might have to try that this year..

BTW... BSK I sent you an email.

 

[DWM]

I was only using the yield as a measurement because I have no other way to post a measurement of the results. Anytime beans get a higher grain yield you can rest assured the plant was also better and healthier.

That is NOT an accurate statement. You cannot compare bean yields for a forage variety versus a bean-producing variety. They have been ciltivated to produce different things.

My statement is very accurate. Never once did I compare grain yield from an ag bean to a forage bean. I am comparing early planted to late planted yields and to good bottom land beans. I stated that the higher yielding crop represents a healthier plant which is completely true with equal comparisons of seed variety.

But I do agree with your theory of planting early to produce an earlier canopy, which reduces soil moisture loss in mid-summer.

Its not a theory. It has been backed up with lots of studies testing soil moisture. These studies have been published in farm magazines. There is also lots of studies showing no-til also conserves moisture.

In the next year or two I'm going to give them a try on dry ridge-tops and see what I get. There can be a real difference in soil quality/moisture retention between different ridge-top soils, especially when considering soil depth and chert layers.

True there can be a big difference in soil from one ridge top to another. With that said there still a big benefit on moisture retention from early and no-til planting for all soil types. I never plan on working up my ridge top land again. It creates to much erosion, dries the ground out and keeps to many equipment damaging rocks on top of the ground.

 

[BSK]

DWM,

If you had said that comparing crop yields of the exact same cultivar of bean-production soybean from location to location is a good measure of plant production and health, then I would have agreed with you. But when you're just using the generic term "beans" when discussing comparitive yields, there are simply far too many variables between soybean varieties to say those type results mean anything.

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

Now about the Eagle beans, I do not believe it is the brand that is giving some of you the big benefits. I believe it is more about what maturity of the bean your using. The Eagle is a group 7 if I'm not mistaken and most of what you buy at the Co-op will be an early group 5 or earlier. Your not comparing apples to apples. They can get a later group seed if you ask. A group 6 planted at around 180- 200,000 will make a huge difference in the way they grow as compared to a late group 4 or an early group 5. My guess is you won't notice a difference in the way the deer respond but you pocket book might. Just wondering how much is it costing to get a bag of eagle seed and how many seed are in a bag?

DWM
You are correct. The biggest reason to use the Eagle bean is they are the only group 7 bean that are round-up ready.

 

[DWM]

DWM
You are correct. The biggest reason to use the Eagle bean is they are the only group 7 bean that are round-up ready.

That is not exactly true. Cropland Genetics has a variety R2T7390 that is a 7.3 group and also R2C6810 that is close to a group 7. It is a group 6.8. They both have an intermediate bushy canopy rating. Meaning it is a bushy plant they will vary according to population and room it has to bush out. The 6810 is classified as a taller growing plant than the 7390. Cropland seed can be bought at any Coop that is part of the Tennessee Farmers Coop. They can also probably be found at other places also. Pioneer only gave out information for the varieties "THEY" feel is suited for our area. They probably have something that is classified for farther south than here but don't list it in this regions book because it won't be suited for grain in this region.

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

DWM
You are correct. The biggest reason to use the Eagle bean is they are the only group 7 bean that are round-up ready.

That is not exactly true. Cropland Genetics has a variety R2T7390 that is a 7.3 group and also R2C6810 that is close to a group 7. It is a group 6.8. They both have an intermediate bushy canopy rating. Meaning it is a bushy plant they will vary according to population and room it has to bush out. The 6810 is classified as a taller growing plant than the 7390. Cropland seed can be bought at any Coop that is part of the Tennessee Farmers Coop. They can also probably be found at other places also. Pioneer only gave out information for the varieties "THEY" feel is suited for our area. They probably have something that is classified for farther south than here but don't list it in this regions book because it won't be suited for grain in this region.

Are the Cropland beans forage beans? And I went to Cropland's web site and it did not show the R2T7390 or R2C6810 varieties as being round-up ready.

 

[DWM]

Are the Cropland beans forage beans? And I went to Cropland's web site and it did not show the R2T7390 or R2C6810 varieties as being round-up ready.

They are actually the new technology of roundup ready beans. The R2 means they are the "Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield". With Cropland anytime you see the R in front of the number it is a Roundup Ready bean. If it begins with a L it is a "LibertyLink" tolerant bean. The first two numbers of the four digit number always represents the group classification. They do not specify if they are a forage bean or not. They list the 7390's for the Southeastern US and the 6810's for the East Coast, Delta. With that late of a maturity I don't see them being used for anything else but forage except in the very deep south. The next time I talk the Cropland rep I will ask.

 

[DWM]

Let me give more information about growth characteristics of soybeans. I'm not good at explaining things so I took a lot of this from the Cropland seed guide.

Soybean maturity is regulated by both photoperiod (day length) and temperature. Soybeans are classified as short-day plants because short days initiate flowering. Actually, the duration of darkness is the controlling factor�experiments show even a one-minute interruption of darkness can retard floral development. Day length increases in the summer as latitude increases�the farther north you are, the higher your latitude.

Northern varieties, in contrast to Southern varieties, initiate flowering with longer days. A variety planted south of its adaptation zone exhibits accelerated flowering, limited growth and reduced yield. Planting a variety north of its adaptation zone will result in delayed flowering with a potential for frost damage

Soybeans are classified into three types of growth habit�determinate, semideterminate and indeterminate. Stem elongation and flowering time determine the growth habit type.

Determinate varieties do not get appreciably taller after flowering begins, and flowering lasts for a shorter period of time.
Semideterminate types have intermediate growth with only a modest increase in height occurring after the onset of flowering.
Indeterminate varieties have stems that continue to elongate after the initiation of flowering. This type may double or even triple in height after flowering.

Soybean varieties are classified as upright, bushy or intermediate, depending upon the degree of branching.

Upright varieties have fewer branches and form a more upright plant with a narrow leaf canopy. These varieties perform better when planted in narrow rows, drilled or broadcast seeded.
Bush-type varieties perform better in wide rows because the plant branches and expands, making use of the available row space. These varieties provide better row coverage and make more efficient use of sunlight.
Intermediate types fall between upright and bushy types.


What all that means is we are basically in a group 4 to early group 5 zone. Anything group 5 and higher is a determinate variety. Meaning the flowering will not start till the plant is almost fully mature. Planting date has nothing to do with when a plant matures. The day length and temp set the date. Group 7 varieties will flower very late and when planted early will grow a very large and taller than normal plant because it has such a long growing period. Therefore they will produce large amount of vegetation during the growing period. Now are the Eagle beans really a forage bean or just a group 7 bean planted outside of its intended growing zone? That I don't know but suspect that is the main difference.

I will explain what I know about the 2 Cropland varieties I mentioned earlier because they are the only ones I have information on. The R2C6810 is a Roundup Ready 2 Yield group 6.8 tall determinate plant type with an intermediate bushy canopy. It will grow tall with a late determined flowering date. The bushyness of the plant will adapt a good bit to how thick the population is and how much room it has to grow. The R2T7390 is basically the same except it is a little later maturity at a group 7.3 and rated as medium height so it won't get as tall as the 6810. The height will change with the planting date and population. The earlier you plant and the thicker will yield taller plants.

Am I saying these will out perform the Eagle beans? No because I do not know. What I am saying is that you probably want see as much of a difference as you have been seeing when comparing them to a regular group 4 or 5 bean. My guess is when you plant competitive group 7 beans side by side you probably won't see much difference. I suspect there is a big difference in the price unless those 2 varieties are prices a lot higher than the earlier group beans. Can someone tell me roughly what the Eagle bean is priced at?

Hope this helps some understand the growth characteristics of soybeans.

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

The eagle beans are about $80 a bag. So far the advantage of the Eagle bean is that they are the only RR forage bean. They can get eat down and still keep coming back.

 

[DWM]

That makes them over $30 a bag more assuming the group 7 Cropland bean is priced the same as the group 4.7. What makes them a forage bean any more than any other group 7 beans? My guess is nothing because no group 7 bean can be used for grain because they won't have time to mature before frost. That makes the Cropland beans a forage bean also. I have no problem with the Eagle bean. I was just trying to save people some money.

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

What makes them a forage bean any more than any other group 7 beans?

Thats a good question. The eagles are listed as a forage soybean, the Croplands are not.