Food Plots Starting in a pasture with a new plot. Need advise.

[FredRog72]

I've got a several acres of open pasture with typical pasture grass and weeds established. This ground looks to have never been touched and is well established. What should my process be for planting? I've got a boom sprayer, tractor with harrow, and a 2 row corn/bean planter. I'm planning on planting corn and beans for the most part. Overall about 5 acres and plan on putting screens along the southern edge. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[deerhunter10]

Soil samples, then spray them disk it then fertilizer/lime you can work it in or top dress it. Our planter has fertilizer boxes on it. Then plant and pray for rain and for the beans low deer pressure to get them up some. If it's never been touch we would chisel plow it first but don't know if you can get a hold of a plow. Not necessarily needed but could help if it's compacted with deep root systems. Many ways to skin the cat but that will get your started. Also with corn and beans pay attention to soil temperature. Weed pressure is also tough on corn and beans. With the screens get a plan on how wide you want it. Lots of different things to plant for a screen.

 

[Popcorn]

Is your planter a no till planter?
Describe your Harrow.
Disk
Drag
Or orchard

 

[FredRog72]

The planter is a no-till. It's a 2 row JD with no-till coulters. The harrow is a disk harrow, 6' wide adjustable. The ground is not very compacted but is heavy in the pasture grass/weed. What/when should I spray? Spray, let it brown up then disk? I also have a cultipacker. It's a double row 10' beast, pull type. I'm planning on Egyptian wheat for the screen but are there other items I should mix in with the wheat?

 

[Popcorn]

If I were looking at that scenario I would spray glysophate to kill the existing grasses and weeds. If possible I would spray 3 to 4 weeks before planting then again at planting. I would not disk or till the soil as the dead grasses will help control weeds and protect soil moisture & temps. I would plant gly tolerant beans and corn so weed control would be easy. I would over lap my rounds so they were closer together than most 2 row planters can be set for. I like my beans close but with your planter it's gonna be difficult to get them much better than 12 to 15 inch rows. I would plant my corn as close to 20 inches if possible. I would not mix my seed, if I wanted them mixed I would put corn in one side and beans in the other side or plant my beans then double back and split the rows with corn. I would not fertilize before planting. I would plant a forage bean and a grain production corn. Either fertilize at planting or at germination. The best justification for separating the corn and beans is the corn needs lots of nitrogen but the beans will make their own.
As far as the Egyptian wheat. I would suggest kill, disk well and broadcast. Mix your seed with pelletized lime and fertilize so you get an even distribution of all. Then cultipack to incorporate seed into the soil. You will get a much better stand this way and be happier with it. When it is about knee high fertilize again and it will take off. Recommended rates are around 5 lbs per acre in wide rows, I would suggest 15 lbs per acre broadcast as you want a screen not just bird seed.

 

[FredRog72]

I'm not going to mix my corn and beans for sure. So, should I use the 41% glysophate? To date, I've only sprayed fence lines and never a large area like this.

 

[Popcorn]

Depending on the brand most sources are 39% to 41% so just follow suggested application rates with any of them. Wait till your targeted species are growing before spraying. Gly has no residual effect, it only works on growing plants and is absorbed via the leaf. Be sure to is a surfactant so that the chemicals stay on the plant leaves. It needs to dry on the plant. You can by surfactants or just add a little Dawn dish washing soap. Most everyone suggests spraying of the morning after the dew dries. My experience is that 1 hour of sunlight will do the job but always get a better kill with up to 4 hours of direct sunlight on sprayed plants.

 

[megalomaniac]

Consider contacting your local co-op and speak to their agronomist. I would even consider putting down preemergents like metolachlor for delayed grass suppression if it has been pasture, but again would want some advise from a true crop expert if planting 5ac in corn/beans.

Give us an update later on what you did and how it turns out!!!!

 

[Popcorn]

Consider contacting your local co-op and speak to their agronomist. I would even consider putting down preemergents like metolachlor for delayed grass suppression if it has been pasture, but again would want some advise from a true crop expert if planting 5ac in corn/beans.

Give us an update later on what you did and how it turns out!!!!

Mega
Asking cause I do not know. Is metolachlor safe for corn?
Technically corn is a grass as is Egyptian wheat.
Could it be used after germination of desirable species safely?

 

[megalomaniac]

Mega
Asking cause I do not know. Is metolachlor safe for corn?
Technically corn is a grass as is Egyptian wheat.
Could it be used after germination of desirable species safely?

I think you are right.... I was going to plant beans, not corn and they strongly recommended that herbicide to reduce competition from weeds later in the growing season. I never used it, and my beans were terribly weedy. But I bet it will inhibit corn severely since it is a grass.

 

[mr.big]

If it's new ground I would turn it in the fall and the disc in the spring and plant

 

[FredRog72]

I followed Popcorn's instructions. I'll post pics of the progress but beans are popping up, corn has just began to sprout and the Egyptian wheat is coming up great. I had a few small areas in the wooded portion that had decent open canopy so I harrowed them and sowed cow peas, buckwheat and clover and cultipacked. Fertilizer goes on this weekend but it popped up and is doing very well so far.