Food Plots Winter Rye or Winter Wheat?

[CPerk]

I am wanting to seed either cereal rye or winter wheat onto the sparse areas of my corn food plot. It would be no till and somewhat decent seed to soil contact. Which would you recommend? Have heard cereal rye will grow just about anywhere, wondering if it'll germinate better than wheat?

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Both germinate quite easy.

https://www.qdma.com/cereal-rye-deer/

https://www.qdma.com/deer-prefer-awnless-wheat/

Rye is considered a cool-season annual cereal grain that germinates very quickly, is highly preferred by deer, and has excellent resistance to grazing pressure. In forage trials I helped conduct across Tennessee, rye consistently ranked second to oats when comparing deer selectivity of the different cereal grains. However, don't be overly concerned with how rye ranks among the other popular cereal grains, because deer prefer wheat, oats and rye. That is, you will not notice more or fewer deer using a plot of rye than you would a food plot planted in wheat or oats (unless you hunt up north and your oats get winter-killed!). However, there may be some advantages for you to use one over the other, depending on what you are trying to accomplish.

 

[Shanman]

Both germinate quite easy.

https://www.qdma.com/cereal-rye-deer/

https://www.qdma.com/deer-prefer-awnless-wheat/

Rye is considered a cool-season annual cereal grain that germinates very quickly, is highly preferred by deer, and has excellent resistance to grazing pressure. In forage trials I helped conduct across Tennessee, rye consistently ranked second to oats when comparing deer selectivity of the different cereal grains. However, don't be overly concerned with how rye ranks among the other popular cereal grains, because deer prefer wheat, oats and rye. That is, you will not notice more or fewer deer using a plot of rye than you would a food plot planted in wheat or oats (unless you hunt up north and your oats get winter-killed!). However, there may be some advantages for you to use one over the other, depending on what you are trying to accomplish.

Great information there JC.

Just my opinion, but if you have a good turkey population and since you're just broadcasting with no ground prep, it might be to your advantage to add 25%-50% more seed than required. 25% might be enough if broadcast right before a good soaking rain.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Agreed with adding a little more for a percentage of no germination...and just for reference, I meant to put my above post in quotes, as it came directly from the qdma site I listed links for.

I typically look at qdma blends and seeds, then alter my plans from there. For growing foodplots just about anywhere, it's hard to beat 50/50 rye and wheat, with some crimson clover mixed in. They will all 3 grow most anywhere and you will have some food for the turkeys also come spring

 

[CPerk]

Both germinate quite easy.

https://www.qdma.com/cereal-rye-deer/

https://www.qdma.com/deer-prefer-awnless-wheat/

Rye is considered a cool-season annual cereal grain that germinates very quickly, is highly preferred by deer, and has excellent resistance to grazing pressure. In forage trials I helped conduct across Tennessee, rye consistently ranked second to oats when comparing deer selectivity of the different cereal grains. However, don't be overly concerned with how rye ranks among the other popular cereal grains, because deer prefer wheat, oats and rye. That is, you will not notice more or fewer deer using a plot of rye than you would a food plot planted in wheat or oats (unless you hunt up north and your oats get winter-killed!). However, there may be some advantages for you to use one over the other, depending on what you are trying to accomplish.

Thank you for the great insight!!