old roads what to plant?

[sk330lc]

 Hey all,
  Whats good to plant on old lease roads in the woods.  some of the roads are starting to wash pretty good. Thought I might plant something that deer and turkey would like and help keep some of the soil on the roads. Sun light is very Minimal That's my dilemma.
Thanks

[gdolby]

good day, its not much of a food item but bermuda grass will sure hold the ground in place. As far as some type of food crop.not sure what you could use with minimal sunlight. good luck.

[Land_Owner]

I have had experience on road strips with and would recommend any of the following in indirect sunlight for wildlife food plots:
Wheat..........Oats..........Sorghum..........Turnips..........Brassica..........Beets..........Iron and Clay Peas..........Soy Beans

Each of these does significantly better in direct sunlight, will germinate and grow OK in the condition you describe, HOWEVER, none of them work for you to control erosion.

Erosion is the high velocity point source contribution of rainfall runoff.  Controlling or diminishing erosion means identifying the conditions contributing to the point source runoff and making repairs that diminish that point source.  Throwing seed on the ground isn't going to get the job done.  Eliminating point sources and reducing the velocity of the runoff is going to take some sweat equity.

Rye grass is quick to germinate in diminished light and cheap and easy to apply, can absorb and retard a significant rainfall, but will wash out where higher velocity point source erosion can occur.  Over seed the Rye with Bermuda as recommended by gdolby or Fescue.  Neither Rye nor Bermuda nor Fescue have been observed by me as food sources for big game wildlife.  The birds may benefit from the seed heads.

Here's a link to North American Green http://www.nagreen.com/, which should be investigated for additional erosion control solutions.  When the erosion is controlled, go back to the first paragraph and plant something for the wildlife.

Good luck,

[sk330lc]

  Rye and mossyoak green patch is what I planted to day.  I took the tractor and blade and cut side ditches so the water would run off to the sides. I then staked old hay bales at the end of the ditches to help catch any sediments.  Lightly disc ed, limed, fertilized, seeded, and rolled.  I'll let ya know how it works. 

Landowner,
 Rye is a very good winter feed for deer. We planted 45 acres last Sept. mixed with Timothy, Alfalfa, and red and white clover.  The deer ate the heck out of it.   We got three cuttings off of it we cut it before it comes in head Bale it @ about 45% moisture and then Rap it . The Holsteins love it and they Milk great . Rye stays green though the winter. I think that's why the deer like it.

[Land_Owner]

Nicely done sk330lc...water brakes by way of staked hay bales.  Nice!

We planted 3 acres of rye in December '07.  Every field, every patch, every road, every strip.  We watched it through May '08 hunting deer to Feb '08 and hogs.  Nothing touched it.  It looked good though.  Green like a lawn should look.  It was pleasant to sit on stand even though the wildlife didn't touch it.  Easy to seed, easier to maintain.  Must be a case of different fields for different deer.  Your location they like it, mine they don't.  I'm OK with that.

[Mack in N.C.]

my deer love rye......i have a big book on wildlife mgmt....i think  university of alabama put it out for the southeast.....anyway it says there is not much nutritional value to rye but my deer love in......i have watched them pass over corn to get to it......if there is not much in it for them it must taste good to my deer......also have red and white clover aroung the edges but they kill the rye...usually marshall rye i plant...mack

[Mack in N.C.]

forgot 1 thing......i ferilize it lightly first then just before the rut i put miracle grow in a  4 gallon back pack sprayer...have to do this several times and i spray the rye.........then they really get after it....mack

[Mack in N.C.]

my mind is going...i looked at the bags of rye at my work today...its gulf rye i usually plant not marshall......mack