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| Copyright 2002-2012. All Rights Reserved. Eagle Seed Company. |
"Eagle Seed Company has new
forage soybean varieties that can
produce 9.8 tons of dry matter per
acre with up to 28% whole plant
protein proven by university
testing.
Compared with other forage and
food-plot varieties, they grow taller
with bigger leaves and have
greater browsing tolerance. The
varieties were grown at Southern
Illinois University, LSU Ag center in
Louisiana, and Oklahoma's Noble
Foundation in 2008.
"They're awesome," Dr. Atkinson
(forage specialist at SIU) says.
"They got up to almost 6" tall."
forage soybean varieties that can
produce 9.8 tons of dry matter per
acre with up to 28% whole plant
protein proven by university
testing.
Compared with other forage and
food-plot varieties, they grow taller
with bigger leaves and have
greater browsing tolerance. The
varieties were grown at Southern
Illinois University, LSU Ag center in
Louisiana, and Oklahoma's Noble
Foundation in 2008.
"They're awesome," Dr. Atkinson
(forage specialist at SIU) says.
"They got up to almost 6" tall."
| EAGLE Seed |
| Forage Soybeans Can Deliver Yield and Quality, Research Shows" Hay and Forage Grower Magazine Excerpted from March 2009 Issue Southern Illinois University Louisiana State University Noble Foundation; Ardmore, OK |
| Home of the #1 Forage Varieties #1 in Tonnage #1 in Protein Roundup Ready Chosen by Universities and Independent Institutions. |
| The Big Fellows in this picture were planted in Missouri near Exeter. The measuring stick used in the picture is four feet in length. Protein content was 36%. The beans were not irrigated and were planted on a very rocky soil. |
| "Testing Tall Soybeans as Forage: Researchers Report Early Results with New Forage Varieties" Excerpted from Mar. 2010 Issue written by Neil Teitz Hay and Forage Grower Magazine Independent Research: Andrews University; Berrien Springs, MI Southern Illinois University |
They performed well in an on-farm rotational grazing study in 2009, her test at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI, ... 10 tons/acre of soybean soybeans, and if the silage performs satisfactorily in rations for the 600-cow silage testing 14% protein, 41% ADF and 51% NDF. He grew 10 acres of the herd, he'll plant 40 acres this year. The Roundup Ready varieties — Large Lad and Big Fellow — were developed at Eagle Seed Co., Weiner, AR, primarily for use in wildlife food plots. They were tested as forage crops at three universities in 2008, and the results were reported in the March 2009 issue of Hay & Forage Grower (see our story, “They're Awesome”). The soybeans were evaluated at several additional locations last year. Although they're long-season, Group 7 varieties, they can be grown anywhere in the U.S., says Brad Doyle, Eagle Seed general manager. Doyle sees them as a promising alternative to alfalfa, especially for farmers who can't grow the perennial legume. Lab tests have shown the soybeans' leaves have up to 42% protein, he says. In Illinois, Atkinson is interested in them mostly as a pasture crop for cow-calf producers. Yields were impressive in a 2008 simulated grazing study, with Big Fellow peaking at 9.6 tons of dry matter per acre and Large Lad at 8.9 tons/acre. So last year she convinced a producer to plant 2 acres of the soybeans in one of 12 paddocks in his rotational grazing system. “I instructed him to graze it down to 10” but not past that, and that's what he did,” she reports. The producer grazed the paddock twice, but didn't apply glyphosate, so weeds took over after the second grazing. If he had sprayed, he could have gotten at least one more grazing, she says. He usually rotates his cattle every three days, but soybean growth was so great that he left them in that paddock an extra day. “He was so impressed with them that he's going to plant 4 acres next summer to graze his cattle on again,” says Atkinson. In the double-crop hay trial, the beans were planted in 15” rows June 29 and mowed into windrows when they were 3-4' tall. The yield was exceptional, but field drying was problematic, says Atkinson. The soybean stems weren't conditioned severely enough, and it took several days to get the crop dry enough to bale. She plans further work to find out how much conditioning is needed. Wider windrows should speed drying, too, and narrower rows might result in smaller stems that dry faster, she says. In the Michigan silage trial, Birney planted half the 10 acres to each of the varieties and mowed the crop into windrows after last fall's first frost. The beans were about 5' tall, and since both varieties are indeterminate, plant tops had new growth while the bottoms were more mature. “We had everything from blooming and putting on new leaves down to pods,” says Birney. “It had monster leaves and the silage smells just like alfalfa silage,” he adds. |
| Soybean Baleage" Hay and Forage Grower Mag. Excerpted from Nov. 2010 Issue written by Neil Teitz Independent Research: Fuller Cattle Farm Marcantel Cattle Farm |
| “It’s a pretty superior product” in terms of its TDN and protein content, he notes. However, mastering the harvest required some learning, he cautions. Marcantel cut the soybeans when they were about 5’ tall with minimal pod development. He baled them at 40-45% moisture about 36 hours after cutting. Looking back, he wishes he’d used a conditioner as he mowed because the thick, hard stems made the crop difficult to bale. Wrapping the bales was troublesome, too. “The stems poked through the plastic wrap,” he reports. “A conditioner would have crimped the stems, making them easier to handle. When I net- wrapped it first, that helped.” Marcantel also had to change things at feeding time. First he tried feeding whole bales. “The cattle wasted the stems. They were too long, too hard and too tough to chew.” He solved the problem by running the bales through a tub grinder. “It made all the difference,” he notes. “They ate it like candy.” Bottom line for this grower: “The heifers grew a lot of frame and meat. I sold quite a few, and the ones I have left look just as good as the other cattle. I definitely plan to do it again.” |
| Research above and below courtesy of : Independent Research: McNeese State Arkansas State University Research Farm The above photo was taken on the ASU farm in Jonesboro, AR. The field was planted in late May with Big Fellow RR soybeans. The Big Fellows were chopped in late August, 2010. |
| “I wanted something to blend with corn as a protein supplement,” to make it a more complete feed for his beef cattle says Fuller, of Kinder, LA. He began to investigate alternative protein sources when forage soybeans caught his attention. For two years, Fuller has teamed up with Chip LeMieux and Bill Storer, animal scientists at McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA, to grow, harvest and evaluate forage soybeans developed by Eagle Seed Co., Weiner, AR. Last year they tested Big Fellow, a late-maturing Group VII Roundup Ready variety. A center-pivot-irrigated field was divided into sections for corn planted at a seeding rate of 28,000 and soybeans planted at 100,000 seeds per acre. Both were on 30” rows to match the harvester. The soybeans were planted in late March, one week ahead of the corn. The corn reached dent stage in August and dropped to a lower moisture level than is typical for silage. That allowed the soybeans to gain more vegetative growth, reaching growth stage R5 and yielding 3.9-4.4 tons/acre of dry matter at harvest. A pull-type forage harvester chopped both crops at a combined dry matter of about 36%. To layer the crops, corn was chopped until the silage wagon was half full, then soybeans were chopped for the remainder of the load. The two forages were mixed as they were bagged. Fuller fed the silage free-choice to cows with calves. “I had to run the cows out,” he says. “They would eat and eat. If I let them, they’d eat over 50 lbs/day, and that is too much.” The soybeans averaged 18-19% protein, and adding them to corn in roughly a 50-50 mix resulted in silage protein levels of 13-14%. Fuller definitely feels he’s on the right track, although he’s quick to remind that, while soybeans are intriguing, experimenting with them remains second to producing the best silage corn possible. The row spacing, harvest timing and other details have to benefit the corn. The corn-soybean silage also is being evaluated as part of McNeese State University’s heifer enhancement and development program. Directed by Storer and LeMieux, the program is a joint venture of the university and Fuller Farms. Producers bring their heifers to the university feedlot for a five-month stay, LeMieux reports. Each heifer is weighed once a month. Before it leaves the feedlot, researchers evaluate it for daily gain and other characteristics that will determine how well it will perform as a replacement. Feeding the silage mixture to developing heifers under controlled conditions will confirm a lot about the value of soybean forage as a supplemental protein source, he adds. So what’s ahead for soybeans as forage? LeMieux, Storer and Fuller are involved in agronomic studies to pinpoint exactly what works best in the field – everything from soybean row spacing, plant population, planting and harvest dates to the finer points of harvesting. This year the team is evaluating Large Lad, another Group VII Roundup Ready variety, as well as an experimental Group V soybean, both produced by Eagle Seed. According to Storer, Large Lad seems to perform similar to Big Fellow in the field, both reaching heights of over 6’. The Group V tops out at about 3’ and is much bushier with greater pod development. Storer is looking closely at leaf-to-stem ratios and stalk thickness. |
| "Cattleman Mixes Chopped Corn, Forage Soybeans" Hay and Forage Grower Mag. Excerpted from Nov. 2010 Issue written by Neil Teitz Independent Research: McNeese State University |
| "Soybeans as Forage: New Varieties Rival Alfalfa for Quality" Midwest Producer Excerpted from May, 2009 Issue written by Loretta Sorensen Independent Research: Midwest Producer serves Kansas and Nebraska |
| This photo demonstrates that Eagle Seed Forage Soybeans have twice the biomass, leafiness and browsing tolerance of other soybean cultivars. |
In 2008, public researchers planted plots at the University of Nebraska. Analysis of Large Lad and Big Fellow's nutrient qualities about 10 weeks after planting at nearly three-foot heights tested better than alfalfa, with 23.5 percent to 27 percent crude protein in freshly clipped plants with fairly soluble protein. "NDF (neutral detergent fiber) was a little high for fresh forage, about 38 to 39 percent, similar to alfalfa in the late vegetative or early bloom stage," Atkinson says. "ADF (acid detergent fiber) was 28 percent, which is also similar to alfalfa." Atkinson's research process also investigated digestibility of each variety and found it to be in the range of 69 to 71 percent. Net energy content scored well at .65 for maintenance and .39 for gain but is less than alfalfa. TDN (total digestible nutrient) was similar to alfalfa at 61 percent. Whether there is more value in soybean or alfalfa forage depends on producer's geographic location. One benefit of soybeans is ability to rotate crops and not tie up a field five years. Forage soybeans would be planted every year." Depending on location, forage soybeans need between a 90-day and 120-day growing season. Beef producers using them for forage would have to balance soybean forage with pasture of other types of hay to prevent nitrates from reaching dangerous levels. "Depending on soil nutrient level and rainfall amounts, nitrate levels could become high," Atkinson says. "They wouldn't be toxic, but it wouldn't be healthy for cattle." Since news of her research was released, Atkinson has heard from beef producers considering or planning to use soybeans as a forage or haylage crop. "One Indiana producer is considering a 10-acre test plot for grazing," Atkinson says. "If he goes ahead with that, it would be the end of June before he could put cows on it. An Ohio producer is considering using it for hay, and another Kansas producer is looking at 100 acres to make silage for feedyards." In testing forage soybeans for hay, researchers will consider how to rake and dry bean forage and how much moisture to retain to maintain nutritional value. Atkinson is waiting for funding before continuing her 2009 research. With Illinois' strong dairy industry, she plans to include dairy cattle in coming projects. She also plans to test planting patterns of forage soybeans and corn silage to increase corn silage quality. "You want to harvest the beans before the seed gets hard," she says. "We harvested test plots when pods were full and seeds were still soft, about an R5 stage. One of our challenges intercropping with corn will be the soybean's tendency to vine. I think you could get at least two cuttings of hay from these varieties, but I won't know for certain until testing is completed." The economic contrast between soybean forage and other types of hay and silage wasn't reviewed in any of the current research projects. Atkinson says existing data would allow researchers to provide economic comparisons. "There are a lot of elements to consider and geographic location would be an economic factor," Atkinson says. "We know if you're using soybean forage for stocker cattle, you should be able to cut back on other protein sources and may not need another protein source. You'd have to really look at details, like seedbed prep, how much time is invested in planting, herbicide and insecticide costs. The economic information does need to be reviewed." |
| "Join Soy Bandwagon" Mid America Farmer/Grower Excerpted from March 2010 Issue Independent Research: SIU Noble Foundation Louisiana State University |
| Dr. Rebecca Atkinson, nutritionist from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, found that cows would readily chow down on soybean plants both growing in the ground and served up dry. What's more, the plants provided pretty much the same the summer slump when forage quality starts to decrease due to the lack of rainfall," says Atkinson. These aren't your grandfather's soybeans...Forage soybeans, developed specifically as deer and livestock feed, can reach 6 feet in height and sport leaves as big as a fist. Those huge leaves pack a powerful protein punch, and because the plants retain the legume family to enrich soil, these beans still can fit into a standard crop rotation. Because grazing doesn't carry the costs harvesting does, farmers who already plant corn or beans could save the cows have at it. "All you'd have to do is make sure the fences are good, supply a bloat block to be safe and ensure that they have some water, " Atkinson said. "They'll take care of the rest." Still, the numbers got even better when Atkinson turned harvested plants into silage. Crude protein rose to 26%, while NDF and ADF percentages came to 32% and 36%. Overall, it scored 194 in relative feed value. "This tells me that it compares well to alfalfa silage in terms of nutrition,"Atkinson said. |
Eagle Seed's Forage Soybeans have
twice the biomass, leafiness, and
browsing tolerance of other soybean.
Pictured left is a commonly available RR
soybean variety. Large Lad RR Forage
soybean is on the right. When RR
cultivars are blooming and have reached
their full height, Eagle Seed's forage
cultivar is just beginning to increase in
height. In its vegetative or
pre-reproductive cycle, grow 6 to 8 weeks
after the commonly available cultivar is
harvested.
twice the biomass, leafiness, and
browsing tolerance of other soybean.
Pictured left is a commonly available RR
soybean variety. Large Lad RR Forage
soybean is on the right. When RR
cultivars are blooming and have reached
their full height, Eagle Seed's forage
cultivar is just beginning to increase in
height. In its vegetative or
pre-reproductive cycle, grow 6 to 8 weeks
after the commonly available cultivar is
harvested.
| Silage Nutrient Values for Big Fellow RR and Large Lad RR soybean. |
| Hay Nutrient Values for Big Fellow RR and Large Lad RR soybean. |
Data collected 10 weeks after planting. Courtesy of Dr. R.
Atkinson, Beef Forage Specialist, Southern Illinois University.
Atkinson, Beef Forage Specialist, Southern Illinois University.
| 870-684-7377 |
