Growing Fertilizer

[john in la]

In Louisiana south of I 10 and I 12 where I live sugar cane is king.
Since cane is harvested from Sept to the end of the year and planted in August fields are left fallow from January to August once every 4 years. They get 3 cuttings off 1 planting.

Up around I 20 its cotton; corn and beans.

But in the transition area just north of I 10 where sugar cane will grow these guys have been growing sugar cane and beans.
Never really thinking about the timing I just figured they were using the fallow field to grow fertilizer with beans.

I was up there this past week and got to thinking about it.
There is no way these beans will be ready to be harvested in the next 6 weeks so this will interfere with cane planting and some fields are not as far along as this field. Maybe you guys that grow beans can tell how far along they are.

So now my thinking is they must have more acres than they have sugar allocation so they grow beans on the extra acres.
But that doesn't explain why they only grow beans and no corn.
Or will the fertilizer put into the soil by the beans last till next fall when the sugar cane is planted???

If you look close you can tell this is sugar cane fields.
The beans are planted 3 rows together and then a space for the tractor wheel.
It accommodates the tillage equipment they have for cane since 1 row of sugar cane is the same width as 3 rows of beans.
You can really see in fields that are not as well grown over as this one.
Or maybe the 3 rows than a space for the wheel has another reason.

 

[mjbrown]

Sugar cane needs 60-100 lbs. Of N per acre as well a phosphorus. Potassium not so much. Pretty much like corn. Soybeans help with some of that.

 

[fixerupper]

Here in Iowa we roughly figure one bushel of soybeans harvested equals one pound of nitrogen put in the soil by the beans. Also, beans are a legume where sugar cane is a grass type plant. Being a legume or broad leafed plant soys might help break up the life cycle of some of the pests that bother grass type plants. These are the two main reasons why we rotate soys with corn.

 

[fastfarmall]

But sugar is more profitable than corn !!

 

[Bill(Wis)]

It appears that those soybeans are at stage R6. There are only two more R stages before they will be ready to harvest which could happen in 4 or 5 weeks which would still allow an August planting of cane. I'm guessing that that is what will happen based on what you have said. The next stage, R7, will be when the leaves turn yellow. Then, in stage 8 the leaves fall off and they will be ready for harvest right after that. I'm assuming they're planning on harvesting dry soybeans. Please keep us informed.

 

[jon f mn]

It's likely too hot for corn down there this time of year. I would think any corn planted would be planted very early there.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I don't know why they grow beans.
I'm betting that if it didn't make $$$ and cents, or farmers wouldn't be doing it..
Could be more than just nitrogen.
Might be a good way to control weeds, retain moisture, keep topsoil from blowing away. Only guessing.

 

[john in la]

Jon that is why corn would be a better choice for this land.
These fields are fallow from Jan to end of August.
Perfect timing to grow corn planted early and off the field by now.
That is what makes me think they are growing fertilizer for the cane.
Its beans always beans.
Never corn or even milo; always beans or sugar.

 

[john in la]

Thanks Bill.
While I seldom go up to this area to really see what will follow these beans or when it will be planted it makes perfect sense for them to grow these beans if they are off in time to plant the cane.
On the other hand sugar is so profitable; losing a year of production would not make it worth the time and effort to grow these silly beans.

These guys this far north are just getting into sugar. Not like they been doing it for generations like the guys south of here. That is what made me consider maybe they just do not have the allocation to grow sugar each year.

The guys south of here have been growing sugar for hundreds of years and those plantations are huge. We talking thousands of acres with full time employees that actually do the farming work. And those guys are like a cartel that do not give up their sugar allocation easily.

 

[paul]

There is a lot of argument on if and how much N a bean crop leaves in the ground.

The argument gets funny after a while. As some say you get a 30-50 pound bonus, and others argue no no no you have a penalty after a grass crop not a bonus after a bean crop.....

Well either way, it offers a 30-50 pound N credit most years........

Obviously I wont know anything about southern crop growing, an interesting thread I like hearing how things work in other locations.

 

[ss55]

The lower pods are already filling out nicely. At $14 to $16 per bushel those beans will likely be combined rather than plowed under. Soybean combining in Iowa and Minnesota is only about 10 weeks away from now (October 1).

Will the beans pictured dry down without a chemical burn down?