# planting ryegrass in bean stubble?



## MScowman (May 18, 2011)

Two guys up the road, planted ryegrass after harvesting soybeans. One guy drilled the ryegrass into the stubble and the other disced and busted up the ground and planted ryegrass. My question is which way is best to utilize the nitrogen put in the soil by the soybeans. My thought is that discing would release the nitrogen and it would then escape to the atmosphere. However, I could be wrong because it looks as if I am because the mans ryegrass that was disced in looks to be more lush and appears from the road to be thicker and longer but I haven't walked through it. What are your thoughts.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

You talking ryegrass for forage or cover crop?


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## AaronQ (Feb 25, 2013)

its going to matter how good the original seed bed was on the soy beans that had the rye drilled into it.

rye is a fairly big hearty seed compared to timothy so it doesnt need as nice of a seed bed to begin with but if its a fairly inconsistent tillage when they soy was planted that will make a difference.

also what were the fertilizer and seed rates applied. the field that was disced could have 10LBS per Acre of seed and a 20 20 20 and it'll have a way faster jump but will burn itself out of nutrient later and its also going to matter what there was left for nutrient in the soil after the soy beans were taken off.

i've never seeded soy up here but i presume its a legume and in turn not alot of nitrogen would need to be applied yes?

If you get a chance stop and ask your neighbors what they applied for rates and even what variety of seed they used and the depth it was seeded it. there's a lot of variables involved but hey. let them do the experiment and you reap the reward of the knowledge of what works best, thats being a good neighbor right....


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## MScowman (May 18, 2011)

mlappin said:


> You talking ryegrass for forage or cover crop?


Yes, forage will graze stockers on it. Aaron, yes soy is a legume. Those are great questions I can and will ask. I knew there were many other variables and didn't stop to think of them before I asked the question. Thanks for the reply mlappin, and aaron.


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## AaronQ (Feb 25, 2013)

cheers eh.

would you mind reporting the findings back could be helpful to someone else down the road looking to do the same thing.


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## MScowman (May 18, 2011)

will do


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## prairie (Jun 20, 2008)

I think some clarification is needed here.

Are we talking about ryegrass or rye? many people get them confused?

Ryegrass would be annual or Italian ryegrass, which I am assuming what MScowman was referring to in his original post.

Rye would be winter cereal rye/rye grain, which AaronQ may have been referring to based on location, and the description of the seed as "...fairly big hearty seed".

As a seed salesman, this is something I fight all the time. Many people are very confused about the difference between ryegrass and rye grain, and sometimes end up planting something other than they intended.


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## AaronQ (Feb 25, 2013)

i meant italian rye as its going to be a forage as he said. Compared to a timothy seed its pretty darn hearty


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