What to do When Food Plots Fail
What to do When Food Plots Fail
Nothing is more frustrating than planting your food plot, taking the time to prepare and plant only to have it fail. Yet, this happens. Sometimes we were the problem, and sometimes there are outside factors that decimate it. In this article, we are going to look at some reasons Iowa food plots fail and what to do.
Herbicides
Non-selective herbicides Like glyphosate (Roundup), these kill any plant they touch. They’re ideal for clearing existing vegetation before planting, but offer no residual weed control. You can spray glyphosate and plant on the same day and it will not hurt your plot.
Selective herbicides target specific weed types, like grasses or broadleaf plants. Many selective herbicides, like 2.4-D and Dicamba have a residual effect, meaning they remain active in the soil for a period of time, preventing weed seeds from germinating. This also will affect your food plot seed if you are planting fall brassicas like radishes or turnips. It will affect the plant and could prohibit it from growing into a food plot. The solution is to read the label. Make sure you know how long the chemical’s residual properties will be in the soil. Pay close attention to the herbicide’s pre-planting interval, which is the recommended waiting period between application and planting your desired crop. For some of these chemicals, it will be 15-30 days. For others it may be longer or shorter. I was using a specific herbicide that cautioned residual control for a year for grass crops. Therefore, I didn’t plant sorghum or millet on that area because I knew I could get a poor stand.
The residual lifespan of an herbicide varies depending on factors like soil type, moisture, and microbial activity. Unpredictable persistence can lead to situations where the residual effect lingers too long, preventing even your desired seeds from germinating. Residual herbicides can also disrupt the delicate balance of soil microorganisms that play a vital role in nutrient cycling and plant growth. Overuse can lead to long-term soil health problems.
Residual herbicides are a valuable tool for food plot management, but their use requires a thoughtful approach. By understanding the risks and adopting best practices, you can ensure your herbicide application helps your food plot flourish, not falter.
Crop Rotation
Food plots and agricultural fields alike thrive on diversity. While planting the same crop year after year might seem convenient, this practice creates a breeding ground for diseases that can devastate your corn, soybeans, and brassicas. Specific pathogens, microscopic organisms that cause disease, thrive on a steady diet of the same host plant. Year after year of planting corn, for example, allows the population of corn-specific pathogens to build up in the soil. These pathogens lie in wait, ready to infect the next corn crop with renewed vigor. Also, corn on corn doesn’t break down in the soil very quickly and can “tie-up” nutrients.
Crop rotation disrupts this disease cycle. For instance, most soybean diseases can be broken by not planting soybeans for 2 years. Additionally, there are more than 5 types of nematodes affecting brassicas, you can’t see them and rarely is it tested for a food plot. By rotating your crops, you can disrupt the environment and deprive pathogens of their preferred host. This allows their populations to decline naturally, reducing the risk of disease outbreaks in subsequent crops.
Crop rotation offers additional benefits beyond disease control. It can also improve soil health by promoting a diversity of soil microbes, enhance nutrient availability for different crops, help suppress weeds by disrupting their life cycles. Crop rotation is a cornerstone of sustainable agricultural practices. By breaking the cycle of disease and promoting soil health, it helps ensure bountiful harvests of corn, soybeans, and brassicas for years to come. Remember, a diverse plot is a healthy plot, and crop rotation is the key to achieving that diversity.
Food plots and agricultural fields alike thrive on diversity. While planting the same crop year after year might seem convenient, this practice, known as monoculture, creates a breeding ground for diseases that can devastate your corn, soybeans, and brassicas. Let’s explore how crop rotation combats disease and how it can benefit these specific crops.
Monoculture disrupts the natural balance in the soil. Specific pathogens, microscopic organisms that cause disease, thrive on a steady diet of the same host plant. Year after year of planting corn, for example, allows the population of corn-specific pathogens to build up in the soil. These pathogens lie in wait, ready to infect the next corn crop with renewed vigor.
Crop rotation disrupts this cycle. By planting different crops in sequence, you deprive pathogens of their preferred host. This allows their populations to decline naturally, reducing the risk of disease outbreaks in subsequent crops.
Mother Nature
Sometimes you can make a plan, execute it, and it still doesn’t work. For instance, I’ve seen a food plot that was placed in what looked to be a good area, surrounded by cover. However, the food plot was a “kill plot” a small food plot, about 1/4 to 1/2 acre in size. The corn ended up getting mauled by deer and didn’t have the opportunity to put an ear on it. Another similar story involved soybeans, the deer browsed the beans and kept them under 8 inches tall. For these instances, they are good ideas, but the food plot needs to be big enough to withstand seasonal browsing.
Another issue that I’m sure hits home for many of us is drought. This past May or June was the first time that Iowa was out of a drought status since 2020. I remember a couple years where the seed basically sat in bare dirt without moisture until October. If you have a pump and a pond, you can water this way. However, most of us do not have those means. When it comes to drought there are still a couple ways you can try and salvage your food plot.
To salvage a plot during drought, you might find luck by planting winter annuals like wheat or rye. If you do get rain in late September or October, these winter annuals will begin to grow and stay green through the season whereas your bulbs won’t have time to develop. Another option is to have perennial trees to hunt. Hunt mast crops like acorns and chestnuts, or incorporate some fall fruit trees like pears or apples.
It’s always frustrating when a food plot fails, by managing your herbicide and crop rotations, you can help set yourself up for a lush food plot.
by Jessica Graham
