Grazing Soybeans?

[southernultrablack]

Anyone here ever tried it? I'm considering planting some for grazing and may plant some for hay eventually.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I plant it for food plot after I cut turn the cows in they love it.

https://www.drovers.com/article/soybeans-may-be-viable-cattle-feed-option

 

[Douglas]

Consider iron/clay cowpeas instead. The only advantage of soybeans is utilizing RR varieties to clean weeds with roundup. I like a mixture of cowpeas and pearl millet.

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/broadacre-crops/forage-fodder/crops/summer-legume-forage

 

[sim.-ang.king]

What are you paying for cowpeas? I can buy cleaned R1 beans for .50/lb, from what I've seen of the cost of cowpeas, you could plant two crops of soybeans.

 

[Douglas]

Haven't bought any in years. You can use 1/4 as many cowpeas as soybeans. See the linked article above. you can often only graze soybeans only once, not so with cowpeas. I will try and find some old pictures. Peas will come up in a bed of dust too.

 

[Banjo]

Consider iron/clay cowpeas instead. The only advantage of soybeans is utilizing RR varieties to clean weeds with roundup. I like a mixture of cowpeas and pearl millet.

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/broadacre-crops/forage-fodder/crops/summer-legume-forage

Are red ripper peas about the same as iron/clay peas?

 

[Douglas]

Yes, but iron and clay have some resistance to rootknot nematodes and wilt for crop land.
iron and clay are two separate varieties mixed together for about 100 yr. now. one is viney and one is not.

here is a comparison from montana

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/mtpmcsr13308.pdf

 

[Dirt Farmer]

Anyone have experience with soybeans and cowpeas? I'd like to know how they compare.