Do Brassicas Actually Get “Sweeter” After a Frost?
Dec 22, 2021Mark Turner
We’ve all heard it in one form or another – that deer select brassicas more strongly after frost because the starches turn into sugars, making the plant sweeter. At the University of Tennessee, we set…
read more
Choosing the Best Brassicas for Your Food Plots
Aug 19, 2020Ryan Basinger
Updated April 4, 2024 Although they have long been used as a livestock forage, brassicas came on the scene as a deer forage about 20 to 30 years ago. There are numerous species that belong…
read more
Food Plot Species Profile: Oats
Jul 15, 2020Ryan Basinger
It’s no secret that cereal grains – wheat, oats, cereal rye, triticale – are popular choices for planting in food plots managed for whitetails. Cereal grains are highly attractive to deer, and they perform well…
read more
Annuals, Perennials or Both for Food Plots? How to Choose Wisely
Jun 24, 2020Ryan Basinger
One of the most basic characteristics of a deer forage that essentially lays the foundation of a food plot program is the time of year it is available and how long it lasts. When you…
read more
NDA’s Guide to Summer Food Plots
Mar 20, 2019Lindsay Thomas Jr.
It’s time to plant and manage summer food plots! Here is a quick guide to all the useful information available on the NDA website to help you decide what to plant, and how to…
read more
American Jointvetch
Jan 16, 2017Ryan Basinger
American jointvetch (Aeschynomene americana), or aeschynomene as some refer to it, is a warm-season annual legume that is used in pastures as livestock forage, for hay production, or as green manure. It is also an…
read more
Austrian Winter Peas
Jul 28, 2016Ryan Basinger
Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum) is a cool-season annual legume that has long been considered a high-preference forage for whitetails. Due to its nitrogen-fixing ability, winter pea has numerous agricultural uses, and it is very…
read more
Radishes for Deer
Jul 18, 2016Ryan Basinger
Radishes (Raphanus sativus) are somewhat of a newcomer to the food plot menu for whitetails. Native to Asia, radishes are produced for a variety of uses but are primarily grown for food. In the United…
read more
Sunn Hemp for Deer
Mar 11, 2016Ryan Basinger
Sunn Hemp Test Results for Summer Food PlotsSunn hemp is among the newer options for your summer food plots, and we tested it last summer at QDMA Headquarters. This short video shows you what we…
read more
Food Plot Species Profile: Alyceclover
Mar 27, 2015Ryan Basinger
Alyceclover is a warm-season annual legume that is primarily used in pastures as livestock forage or managed for hay production. Despite the name, alyceclover is not a true clover, as it does not bear a…
