(716) 895-7333 food plot agronomy 101 installation and management garrett coleman, cca forage...
TRANSCRIPT
(716) 895-7333 www.preferredseed.com
Food Plot Agronomy 101
Installation and Management
Garrett Coleman, CCA
Forage Agronomist
The Goal
• Grow bigger bucks and keep them in your hunting area– Feed Quality– Feed Throughout the year
• Create a nutritious, DESIREABLE food Source
What we will Discuss
• What species
• Soil Testing
• Tilling, Fertilizing, and Planting
• What you need to plant a plot
• Management
Species Selection• Spring Seeding Perennial (April and May)
– Clover, Alfalfa, Chicory, Cool Season Grasses, Oats
• Summer Seeding (July to August 15th)– Brassicas, Clover, Alfalfa, Chicory, Cool
Season Grasses, Buckwheat
• Fall Seeding (August 15 – October 10th)– Winter Rye and Winter Wheat
Mixes work best
• Diversity mixes improve performance across area– However mix compatible species– Example:
• Brassicas with slow growing perennials don’t mix.
• Consider weed control– Grasses in a broadleaf mix and vise-versa
Location, Location, Location
• Clear Cut areas
• Old Hay Fields
• Logging Roads
• Pond banks
• Don’t be afraid to try something
Remember Sun, Sun, Sun
Agronomic Considerations
Soil Type and Texture
• Web Soil Survey– http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/Home
Page.htm
• Soil Testing
Soil Sampling
• Sample to your tillage depth (go to 6 inches) if you don’t know.
• Minimum of 30 cores per sample submitted or 10 cores/acre
• Mix cores in a bucket• Air dry them and send
into the lab
Soil Sample Results
• Soil pH– Lime Recommendation
• Fertilizer Recommendation– N-P-K– N = Protein
• Feeding the soil will feed the deer
Sample Kits available
In the field testing
• Cornell Soil pH test Kit
– Available at your local extension office $12.50 each
– Will quickly give you a liming recommendation
• No fertilizer recommendation
Soil pH is the most important
• High precipitation leaches Ca and Mg leaving Acidic soils in NY– Some exceptions of high pH soils in NY
• Low pH ties up nutrients, particularly Phosphorus and Micro Nutrients
• Want to maintain our plot pH at 6.5 to 7.0
• Requires consistent liming in to maintain
• Legumes require high pH for N fixation
Liming
• Virgin soil will require more lime than you can apply in one season– Apply a maximum of 2 tons/acre per application– Patience, will require multiple years of
application
• Recommendations based on 100 ENV– Equivalent Neutralizing Value
Application Rate
• Soil Test Recommends 2 tons/acre of 100% ENV lime
• The feed mill has 83% ENV lime available
• Divide 100 / available lime ENV– 100/83 = 1.2
• Multiply 1.2 X 2 tons/ac = 2.4 tons/acre
Apply 2.4 tons/acre of the 83% ENV lime
Lime Types
• Ag Lime traditional, has to have an ENV number– ENV takes into account Fineness (affects
reaction time) and Purity
• Pelletized lime – finer ground reacts more quickly, (not more potent)– Easier to spread with small equipment– More Expensive
Understanding Fertilizer
• Nitrogen – Phosphate – Potash– Triple 19 19-19-19– % in mix, so if you put 100 lbs/acre of Triple
19 you put down 19 lbs of Nitrogen, 19 lbs of Phosphate, and 19 lbs of Potash
– Most situations on virgin ground apply 200 to 500 lbs per acre of balanced fertilizer
• Don’t worry about being off a few lbs of one nutrient or the other
Understanding Fertilizer
• Avoid putting N on Legumes– Stimulates weeds
• Spread fertilizer and weeds at a half rate in two directions for even coverage
Planting Prep
• Weed Control – Start early– Will require multiple
applications– Spring Apply Early May then
again in June– Ready for Summer Annual
planting– Wait 3 days after spraying
before tilling
Weed Control
• Perennial weeds are easiest to kill in the fall when sinking root reserves– Spray mid September
with a mix of Glyphosate and 2,4 – D
• 2,4-D can’t plant broadleaf crops into it for at least 8 weeks so don’t use in the spring
– Spring will require two apps.
Soil Prep
• Seed to Soil Contact• Not rocket science
– Use what you have– Old disc or drags, tow with your truck or
garden tractor– Spin Spreader– Roller– Micro Plots use hand tools
• Rake up debris loosen the top soil
Soil Prep
• Goal– Smooth level seed bed
• Consider working in two directions– 45º angles
• Add leveling boards or chains last pass
Micro Plots
• Done with hand tools– Sprayer– Hand Rake– Spreader– Chain Saw
• Make Sure you have sunlight– Brassicas don’t like shade– Oats, Rye, and some clover or chicory can
handle slight shade
Planting Seed
• Be careful using “Till and Plant Equipment”– Often bury seed
• Broadcasting can work well
• Drills can work well but understand how to set them up
Seeding Depths and Rates
• Check our chart
• The smaller the seed the shallower it should be planted
• Alfalfa, Clover, Chicory, Grass Seed ¼” deep
• Small Grains Rye, Wheat, Oats, Peas ¾”
• Brassicas ¼” – ½” deep
Big Buck Clover Mix
• 45% Jumbo Ladino Clover
• 25% Duration EXTRA Red Clover
• 20% Ivory 2 White Clover
• 10% Oasis Forage Chicory
Palatable perennial mix, keep the pH up and top dress with 0-10-40 or similar
Summer, Fall, & Winter Forage Feast
• 40% Dwarf Essex Forage Rape• 15% Hobson Forage Rape• 15% Bonar Forage Rape• 12% Improved Forage Kale• 9% Appin Turnip• 9% Pasja Hybrid Brassica
Excellent for a kill plot, annual seed mid to late summer most popular mix, graze tops dig bottoms