About J. Wayne Fears

How would you like to plant a warm season annual legume that would produce up to four tons per acre of high quality forage that deer love – plus, during late fall and winter it would provide an additional ton of grain that deer seek out? In fact, deer in areas of high populations love it to the point that they will eat up small food plots planted in the legume soon after it emerges from the ground in the spring. The plant is soybeans (Glycine max).

Not only is soybean attractive to deer, the nitrogen-producing legume also supplies deer with nutrient-rich forage from spring to fall, up to 35% of highly digestible protein; and then in the winter, grain (in the form of beans) that contains high levels of carbohydrates and fats to get deer through the rut and winter until spring green-up.

What Variety of Soybean to Plant

There are many varieties of soybeans to choose from. For food plot consideration, we need to know that soybeans generally fall into two broad groups – grain-type and forage-type. Both are highly desirable to deer. The grain-type soybeans are now most popular with farmers, and produce short stalks and lots of beans. However, many deer managers want food plots that produce lots of forage as well as a good crop of beans, so forage-type soybeans are usually recommended for deer food plots. Many of these varieties of soybeans are called climbing soybeans and have been developed to be more of a tall growing vine than the shorter, erect grain-type soybean. The climbing soybean – when planted in deer food plots with corn, Egyptian wheat, or tall variety grain sorghum – grows high as it climbs up the stalks of the higher growing plants. It forms a food-rich environment prior to the first frost – one that deer can also use as cover and bedding, as well as a feeding area.

Climbing soybeans running up on Egyptian wheat in a food plot offer deer cover as well as food.

With so many varieties of soybeans developed for specific areas of the country and specific markets, it’s best to visit the Cooperative Extension Service county agent in the county you plan on planting your food plots and get his or her variety recommendations for the soils and weather in your local area. Be sure the agent understands that you are interested in forage-type soybeans such as Laredo, Quail Haven, Big Fellow RR, Tyrone, or Large Lad RR that may work well in your area.

If your food plots are in the far north and there is not enough time for the long maturing forage-type soybean to make a crop of beans, ask the county agent about shatter-resistant grain types that work well where your food plots are located. The recommendation may be varieties such as SS4312N RR or SS Real World.

Remember that each variety of grain-type soybean or forage-type soybean has advantages and disadvantages over one another, and it is up to each individual deer manager to figure out which variety would work best for their specific location. Time spent with your county agent will assure you of getting it right the first time.

Size of Food Plots

In areas of dense deer populations, it’s best to save soybeans for larger, 3-acre-plus food plots to avoid overgrazing just as the new plants emerge in the spring. This can, and often does, wipe out the crop.

Best Time to Plant

Soybeans should be planted just after the last frost, when the soil temperature is over 60 degrees, usually April in the South and as late as June in the North. As a rule, forage-type soybeans mature later than grain-type varieties, so forage-type soybeans planted late in the North may not produce beans before the first frost. Be sure to check with your local county agent about planting dates based on the variety of soybeans you want to grow for deer management.

	The fuzzy bean pods stay on the plant, offering deer a high quality food source into the winter.

Seedbed Preparation and Planting

Soybeans do best in well-drained soils such as clay or sandy loams with a pH between 5.9 and 7.0. As always, do a soil test to determine if lime is needed, and to pinpoint the correct fertilizer combination and amount to use at planting.

Soybeans need a high quality seed bed, one that is well broken up, free of rocks, limbs, clods and weeds. It’s best to level the seedbed with a drag or cultipacker.

Different varieties of soybeans can require different planting rates. Here is a general recommendation: if broadcast seeding, sow at a rate of about 80 pounds per acre; if drilling, about 50 pounds per acre. If you are planting as a combo crop with a tall growing grain such as corn, Egyptian wheat, or grain sorghum, then adjust the planting rate accordingly. Follow the instructions that come with the seeds you select, or discuss the seeding rate with your local county agent.

Plant the seed in a well-prepared seedbed and cover at least a ½-inch to 1-inch deep using a cultipacker or drag. If you are using no-till planting, clean the food plot of weeds three weeks before planting using glyphosate to keep down weed infestation that will shade out the new growth soybeans and compete for nutrients.

Buying crimson clover seed that has been inoculated and coated can be a fast start to planting.

Seed Inoculation is a Must

It is important to remember that soybeans are a legume and require inoculation before you plant. Be sure to inoculate the seed with Rhizobium, strain S. For those new to legume seed inoculation, it is the process of introducing commercially prepared sources of rhizobia to promote nitrogen fixation. This usually is done by applying inoculum directly to the seed prior to planting. Instructions usually come with the seed, or call your local county agent.

Are Soybeans Right for You?

While soybeans are a favorite food for deer, there are situations where it may not be the crop you want for your food plots. In areas where all the neighboring farms are planted in soybeans, your small food plots may not be as attractive to deer as you might wish. Soybeans require really good soil and well prepared seedbeds to make a crop, so if your food plot sites have rough, low quality soil, or you do not have the equipment to prepare a good seedbed, then consider another crop. In areas of high deer density, newly emerging soybeans – especially in small food plots – may be eaten up during the first 30 to 45 days, during the time they need to get established.

However, in areas where soybeans are a good choice for a food plot crop, nothing beats them for the amount of nutritious food available for deer during the summer, fall, and into the winter.