About J. Wayne Fears

I attended a deer show recently and many of the hunters there were talking about a new type of radish, called Trophy Radishes, that had been developed for deer food plots and deer loved them. Can you tell me more about these radishes and where I can get seeds?”

This is just one of the many emails I have received recently from readers asking about planting radishes in their food plots. As I write this, I am into my first fall of planting radishes in my food plots, so most of the information I am giving in this article I obtained from Kent Kammermeyer, a deer biologist and book author in Georgia who has been active in the field testing of the forage radish, named Trophy Radishes, that has been marketed and developed specifically for deer.

How It Came About

The genetic improvement of radishes for agricultural purposes was started back in 2001 by Dr. Ray Weil and his students at the University of Maryland. They were looking for a radish that had the ability to inhibit winter weeds; break up soil compaction; add nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and other minerals back to the soil; and add organic matter back to the soil. Radishes do all this plus germinate very quickly; show vigorous top growth; possess huge, single long tap roots; and as an unplanned side advantage, attract high and intense deer use.

Trophy Radishes, with their long root, are an excellent soil conditioner as well as food plot crop. Photo by Jon McDonald.

Until 2007 very little thought had been given to planting radishes, a member of the Brassica family, for deer. Brassicas such as kale, rape, and turnips had become established as food plot crops but the radish had been overlooked. During the winter of 2008, 96 deer in New York were observed in a 2-acre field digging through the snow to eat radish green tops and roots. These forage radishes had not been planted for a wildlife food plot but were planted in a small field as a soil conditioner and winter cover crop.

The research team’s most recent genetic selection, named Tillage Radish, was in that field in New York. At about the same time, the same variety of radishes were planted in 10 test food plots in Georgia. The results were very similar. Deer found the radish quickly, and highly preferred them as a fall and winter food, eating the tops and root with equal enthusiasm. A selection of Tillage Radish known to be highly palatable to deer was then developed and named Trophy Radishes.

Why Forage Radishes

Forage radishes grow so fast they can be used to smother and suppress weeds, while enhancing the seedbed. They die-off in winter, which can be an advantage to deer managers since any remaining top and root material rapidly decomposes and enriches the soil by adding organic matter high in nutrients to the soil for the follow-up or companion crop to utilize. Research has shown a 10% or greater increase in production of the follow-up planting such as spring food plot crops containing corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, cowpeas, or buckwheat. Plus, radishes are much easier to grow than some of the newer food plot crops like sugar beets or alfalfa, and they are well adapted to soils and weather conditions in most of the U.S.

Radishes are Edible This is one food plot plant that is good for man to eat. Trophy Radishes are good in stir fry dishes and eaten raw with salads. They are crispy, crunchy textured and have a mild, slightly hot but sweet flavor. The greens can be prepared and cooked just like turnip greens but are milder and more tender. Also, both the greens and roots are nutritious, being high in protein, calcium, phosphorus, and iron.

The forage radish does not look much like the radish we grow in our vegetable gardens, but more like a large, long, light colored carrot, which can reach a length of 18 to 32 inches, about half of which sticks out above the soil surface – giving deer easy access to it. These long radishes aerate and loosen soil and add organic matter, even in heavy clay soils. Unlike other Brassicas, which are usually ignored by deer the first year or two, with Trophy Radishes deer learn quickly to eat the green tops and then the root.

Added Value

According to the University of Maryland Extension Service, Trophy Radishes produce 5,000 pounds per acre dry weight top growth and an additional 2,000 pounds per acre dry weight root growth. This is much higher than most other Brassicas. Of interest to deer managers, crude protein levels of 43.6% in immature plant leaves were documented at Clemson University, and a December test of mature frostbitten leaves in New York showed 20% protein in leaves and 23% in roots. Studies also showed that both roots and tops contained significant levels of boron, copper, manganese, and zinc – all trace minerals essential to deer.

Kammermeyer told me that Trophy Radishes can send a tap root as deep as 32 inches down into the soil. This does not necessarily directly benefit deer, but that depth is where nitrogen and other nutrients are absorbed and brought to the soil surface and stored in the root. When deer eat the root, they benefit from all the nutrients that were previously inaccessible because they were too deep.

Get the Right Radish Seeds

Now that so much attention has been given to Trophy Radishes as a top crop for deer, there are a lot of different kinds of radishes becoming available that are promising equal results. However, according to Kammermeyer, some of the radishes offer inferior results for deer. Oilseed radishes are selected for oilseed production. The roots are less aggressive and more branched, and plants are harder to winterkill, which can be a distinct disadvantage to deer managers.

Trophy Radishes offer a lot of food just in the lush growing tops. Photo by Luther Wannamaker.

The seeding rate is sometimes doubled compared to Trophy Radishes, because of bigger seed size.

Daikon radish is a variety primarily used for human consumption with a smaller top and rot as are the following other radishes: Asian, Chinese, Japanese, Oriental, Sprouting, and Winter. Groundhog Radish is a brand name of radish about which little is known regarding origin, lineage or fit for deer, including nutrient analysis, production data, or deer usage. Deer will consume the top growth of all these, but the nutritional and digestibility makeup, as well as deer preference, has not been documented for any of these varieties.

What Deer Managers are Saying

The deer managers I am talking to who have tried Trophy Radishes are very pleased with the early results. Many are planting the new radish combined with clover and small grains. They report that deer feed heavy on the radishes until they winter kill, but they are still left with a vigorous stand of clover and small grain growing on a much improved seedbed. Also, they tell me the deer bite off the exposed top of the root and even pull up the entire root in soft ground as long as they can find them.

	Hunters like the fact that deer find and feed on Trophy Radishes more quickly than other Brassica’s. This exclusion cage tells the story.

Deer management consultant Jay Klaverweiden of Delaware reports, “As a wildlife consultant who does custom planting of food plots, I like to plant the products I sell. When my Pennington sales representative told me about Rackmaster Trophy Radishes, I decided to give them a try. I planted them the third week in August and have been amazed at their growth despite dry soil conditions. They produced an incredible amount of forage – much more than other Brassica’s I have tried. Deer also began feeding on them earlier. The roots are huge and will provide large amounts of nutrition during the winter months. The uneaten root portion will deteriorate in the soil, improving soil tilth, organic matter, and water retention. Trophy Radishes are a win-win for the soil, the deer, and the hunter.”

As I said at the beginning of this article, this is my first year of planting Trophy Radishes; but based on what I am seeing in my food plots, it will be a favorite in the future. Plus I’m having the fun of working with an exciting new food plot crop!