One of my destination food plots this year will be soybeans…what is the recommended fertilizer for soybeans? And if I decide to plant some corn this year, can I use the same fertilizer? Trying to figure out my budget this year.
It depends on your soil. I am in no way a farmer so I took a soil sample last year, and had it sent in through the local COOP. I have been working with the local Cenex Agronomy Center about what to add ie. lime, fertilizer, ect. A guy named Josh there(In Owen) has been great! My beans last year grew GREAT, and got pounded. Food plots are expensive so I wanted to do it right to get the best results. I also think I am getting the best prices on the things I buy. He can even do custom seed mixes including brassicas, turnips, colvers, sugar beets, and just about anything else, and seed is sold “by the pound”. I spent about 2 hours talking to him on Tuesday. Awesome Info.!
Nut
9-23-30 Would work you could go with something with more nitrogen if you would like. 
I agree with all responses, Get the soil sample and tell them what you plan to plant. the soybeans “legumes” require very little nitrogen so the 9-23-30 will work good. I do spread straight urea when the beans are about 12″ tall this will give them huge leaves for more tonnage as far as the corn fertilizer I use 9-23-30 in my fertilizer boxes when planting and then top dress with urea at about 12-16″ tall. 
If you plant them together Just use 19-19-19 at at least 250# per acre. then top dress with urea at 12-16″ tall
Quote:
If you plant them together Just use 19-19-19 at at least 250# per acre. then top dress with urea at 12-16″ tall
Great info Bob I agree with that. If you want to get really in-depth with your planting, and are doing a large plot like Bob said get soil samples done in a grid form. Have them sent in and have a map made showing what part of the field needs more of what and where.
Some great info already I would x3 on the soil samples but if you flat out don’t get it done I would follow Bob’s suggestion on 19-19-19, hard to go wrong there. I’m not sure of your available time to work on this stuff or knowledge of fertilizer so I am just going to side note Bob’s comment on top dressing with Urea- Urea is awesome for top dressing, especially for corn because it is 46 percent nitrogen. However, when top dressing it is important to do so before a rain fall. When left on the soil surface , especially in warm weather, Urea will actually loose Nitrogen to the atmosphere by converting to Ammonia and Carbon Dioxide. When this happens the Ammonia is in gas form. This can actually occur in as little as 2-4 days. If you get rain, or incorporate Urea into the soil, this Ammonia acts similar to Anhudrous Ammonia (a very common fertilizer) and is not lost. Furthermore, when you do incorporate Urea it briefly turns to Ammonia before converting to Ammonium and is quite toxic to you seedlings. If applied before a rain, and after corn is around 12″ this works to your advantage by affecting weed growth
Overall points for using Urea:
-Urea will lose Nitrogen to atmosphere if left on surface
-This lose increases with temperature (soil and air)
-Incorporated into the soil by tillage Nitrogen lose is little to none
-Urea converts to Ammonia (NH3) and then to Ammonium (NH4)
-Ammonia is toxic to many plant seedlings, including corn
-Once converted from Ammonia to Ammonium, corn utilizes Nitrogen very quickly
-The difference between Ammonia and Ammonium also is dependent on pH (nearly 7) that’s why soil samples are important
-do not seed place Urea with corn (AKA don’t put it in your fert box on planter)
My suggestion is top dress before a sure rain fall or during tillage. Personally I utilize urea and all fertilizers during tillage. I always plant a few days after incorporation of Urea. As I said I’m unsure of your knowledge on top dressing vs. rain interaction so I figured I’d point out some of the details. I’d just hate to see some one who only has time on the weekend to food plot to find themselves wasting money on Urea if it doesn’t rain for a few days. Be sure to keep us posted on your plotting endevors.
Thanks for the info guys! I knew you guys would have the answers I was looking for.
Thanks again,
Dan
Get to know your local CO-OP 
The guys at the CO-OP will luv to help you out a share some hunting stories while you are there. We are out in the country all the time and I know that I will stop out for a favor or two for some of the guys that are cool when they come in. Your CO-OP guy can get you fetilizer by the 5-gallon bucket is that is what you need and they can collect or send in your soil sample so you can know exactly what you have to work with. Your local CO-OP guy will probably even get interested enough to stop out to check on your plot and maybe even give you some suggestions during the year just because.
It is impossible to say right now what you will need for fertilizer. Some of the suggestions above are safe ways to go but if you want to get the absolute most out of your plot, GET THE SAMPLE Then see just how tall you can get those catagory 4 beans to grow. 5′, 6′, 7′ 
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