pearl millet and cow peas

[skyhightree1]

Has anyone ever planted pearl millet with cow peas? If so how did that workout?

 

[ValleyView]

Just did a few weeks ago along with quite a few other varieties. Would be happy to report back in a few weeks.

 

[skyhightree1]

Just did a few weeks ago along with quite a few other varieties. Would be happy to report back in a few weeks.

Please do

 

[1982vett]

I did a test run back in 2011 to see if it would work....but everything was a failure that year so nothing to report.

 

[skyhightree1]

I did a test run back in 2011 to see if it would work....but everything was a failure that year so nothing to report.

Definitely wasn't a good year

 

[jdg]

I've been planting summer annual mixes for the past 6 years in south Ga. These are my favorite species...roughly in order:
Pearl Millet (tif leaf 3 and BMR 360 King agri)
Sunn Hemp
Sorghum Sudan (fear the sugar cane aphid if you're in the south...i only put a few pounds in)
Crabgrass
Cowpea

and this year i'll be adding: buckwheat, Sunflower, Alyce Clover, and Okra. These mostly for soil health, and not because cows love them.

Cowpeas can't really keep up with the growth of the millets and Sudans...you get some second growth after your first graze if you don't hit it too hard the first time through, but the sunn hemp is the heavy lifter legume...its grows like crazy.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Has anyone ever planted pearl millet with cow peas? If so how did that workout?

I do with soybeans and sorghum.
Makes a fine food plot.

 

[Nesikep]

I've been planting summer annual mixes for the past 6 years in south Ga. These are my favorite species...roughly in order:
Pearl Millet (tif leaf 3 and BMR 360 King agri)
Sunn Hemp
Sorghum Sudan (fear the sugar cane aphid if you're in the south...i only put a few pounds in)
Crabgrass
Cowpea

and this year i'll be adding: buckwheat, Sunflower, Alyce Clover, and Okra. These mostly for soil health, and not because cows love them.

Cowpeas can't really keep up with the growth of the millets and Sudans...you get some second growth after your first graze if you don't hit it too hard the first time through, but the sunn hemp is the heavy lifter legume...its grows like crazy.

didn't realize sunn hemp was a legume, I thought it was a grass... I've considered Pearl millet but it's hard to get seed here.

We've done a lot of buckwheat, our problem with it is it wants SOOO much water in our temps and irrigation just knocks it down flat.. it'll grow 6 ft high but be 6" off the ground doing it... we use it for green manure alone

 

[snoopdog]

I've been planting summer annual mixes for the past 6 years in south Ga. These are my favorite species...roughly in order:
Pearl Millet (tif leaf 3 and BMR 360 King agri)
Sunn Hemp
Sorghum Sudan (fear the sugar cane aphid if you're in the south...i only put a few pounds in)
Crabgrass
Cowpea

and this year i'll be adding: buckwheat, Sunflower, Alyce Clover, and Okra. These mostly for soil health, and not because cows love them.

Cowpeas can't really keep up with the growth of the millets and Sudans...you get some second growth after your first graze if you don't hit it too hard the first time through, but the sunn hemp is the heavy lifter legume...its grows like crazy.

What is your normal rainfall after first graze, and about a date on the calendar. It seems you're pretty humid there, just going off my experiences traveling.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I've been planting summer annual mixes for the past 6 years in south Ga. These are my favorite species...roughly in order:
Pearl Millet (tif leaf 3 and BMR 360 King agri)
Sunn Hemp
Sorghum Sudan (fear the sugar cane aphid if you're in the south...i only put a few pounds in)
Crabgrass
Cowpea

and this year i'll be adding: buckwheat, Sunflower, Alyce Clover, and Okra. These mostly for soil health, and not because cows love them.

Cowpeas can't really keep up with the growth of the millets and Sudans...you get some second growth after your first graze if you don't hit it too hard the first time through, but the sunn hemp is the heavy lifter legume...its grows like crazy.

Why do you like pearl millet more than sorghum sudan ?

 

[Banjo]

I've been planting summer annual mixes for the past 6 years in south Ga. These are my favorite species...roughly in order:
Pearl Millet (tif leaf 3 and BMR 360 King agri)
Sunn Hemp
Sorghum Sudan (fear the sugar cane aphid if you're in the south...i only put a few pounds in)
Crabgrass
Cowpea

and this year i'll be adding: buckwheat, Sunflower, Alyce Clover, and Okra. These mostly for soil health, and not because cows love them.

Cowpeas can't really keep up with the growth of the millets and Sudans...you get some second growth after your first graze if you don't hit it too hard the first time through, but the sunn hemp is the heavy lifter legume...its grows like crazy.

Do you drill this mix into existing pasture?

 

[callmefence]

I've been planting summer annual mixes for the past 6 years in south Ga. These are my favorite species...roughly in order:
Pearl Millet (tif leaf 3 and BMR 360 King agri)
Sunn Hemp
Sorghum Sudan (fear the sugar cane aphid if you're in the south...i only put a few pounds in)
Crabgrass
Cowpea

and this year i'll be adding: buckwheat, Sunflower, Alyce Clover, and Okra. These mostly for soil health, and not because cows love them.

Cowpeas can't really keep up with the growth of the millets and Sudans...you get some second growth after your first graze if you don't hit it too hard the first time through, but the sunn hemp is the heavy lifter legume...its grows like crazy.

Why do you like pearl millet more than sorghum sudan ?

op:

 

[jdg]

pearl millet is a little easier to manage (Sorghum Sudan has a tendency to get stemmier) and grows in lower pH soils...it also does not attract sugar cane aphids, if you are within their reach. You can probably get slightly better ADG's out of SS.

In south GA, we can often start planting summer annuals in mid to late April, and as late as early July. (you can plant them later, but might only get one graze).

I've overseeded annuals in fields that we manage no-till for summer and winter annuals, planted them in perennial pastures, and in clean till. They do best in clean till, next in annual no-till, and usually perform the least overseeded in perennial pastures. Obviously the more fertility and moisture you have, the better. A lot of our annual plantings we can irrigate, but not all.

 

[jdg]

Pearl Millet also has an amazing ability to survive very little moisture, and then grows exponentially once it receives water.

 

[Texasmark]

I've been planting summer annual mixes for the past 6 years in south Ga. These are my favorite species...roughly in order:
Pearl Millet (tif leaf 3 and BMR 360 King agri)
Sunn Hemp
Sorghum Sudan (fear the sugar cane aphid if you're in the south...i only put a few pounds in)
Crabgrass
Cowpea

and this year i'll be adding: buckwheat, Sunflower, Alyce Clover, and Okra. These mostly for soil health, and not because cows love them.

Cowpeas can't really keep up with the growth of the millets and Sudans...you get some second growth after your first graze if you don't hit it too hard the first time through, but the sunn hemp is the heavy lifter legume...its grows like crazy.

Mind sharing your soil type and average PH?

 

[jdg]

sandy loam....5.8-6.3ph. we try to maintain above 6.0

 

[skyhightree1]

Has anyone ever planted pearl millet with cow peas? If so how did that workout?

I do with soybeans and sorghum.
Makes a fine food plot.

Nothing crowds anything else out or takes over?

 

[Caustic Burno]

Has anyone ever planted pearl millet with cow peas? If so how did that workout?

Not really as sorghum would be the winner and I plant it sparsely.
I do with soybeans and sorghum.
Makes a fine food plot.

Nothing crowds anything else out or takes over?

 

[jdg]

the SS, PM, and Sunn Hemp dominate the stand early...you get most of your early work out of them. Normally, the others come on more after the first grazing.