Legumes are a group of forages that get their name from the type of fruit they produce. That fruit is a single seed, or a row of seeds produced in pods that splits on two sides (a soybean is an example). Although deer seek out and eat the nutritious seeds of some legumes (e.g., soybeans), in most instances it is the plant itself that holds most of the nutrition and is what deer consume.
Benefits of legumes in deer food plots
Legumes share a number of characteristics that make them good choices for planting in deer food plots. For example, they are higher in protein and are more digestible than most grasses. Protein content of most legumes ranges from 14% to over 30% dry mater content. Legumes also take nitrogen from the air and convert it into a form that is usable by plants. This is called nitrogen fixation and it is important because it not only affects the growth and nutritional quality of your plants, but also determines how much fertilizer you need to apply to your food plots.
Nitrogen fixation by legumes
Nitrogen fixation is performed by specialized bacteria that occur in little bumps or "nodules" on legume roots (Click to view a picture of bacteria nodules on legume roots). The amount of nitrogen fixed can range from 50 to over 200 lbs/acre/year. As a result, legumes in your food plot will generally provide enough nitrogen to meet the needs of all the forages in your plot. The result is that you can often save money by not applying nitrogen fertilizer each year. This savings can be anywhere from $20 to over $75 per acre.
Inoculating legumes
The bacteria that actually fix the nitrogen must be added to all legume seeds prior to planting them. This is called inoculating the seed. Each legume species has a specific type of bacteria it requires, so be sure you are applying the correct innoculate for the forages you are planting.
Most commercially available seeds are pre-inoculated when you buy them, but check with your seed supplier to be sure. These bacteria are alive which means they can die, so when you by pre-inoculated seed, check the expiration date of the inoculate. If the expiration date has expired, or if the seeds you buy aren't inoculated, you will have to inoculate them. This is a simple process of mixing the proper inoculate with your seeds.
Table of legumes for deer food plots
The following is a table of the cool-season and warm-season legumes most commonly planted in deer food plots. Click on any of the forages below to read a fact sheet about the forage and how it can be used in deer food plots.
