Considering to get/rent a planter. Need help deciding.

[Redneck in training]

We have about 32 ac of land I would like to restore prairie on and put it in CRP contract. We would like use 5-10 additional acres for food plots. Currently 32 ac were planted with soy beans.
I talked to county biologist and he advised me that the prairie should have fire buffer because it should be burned every three four years to get rid of unwanted plants. He recommended planting the fire buffer with clover. I am considering acquiring a no till planter.
I have several questions:
1.) Did anybody restore prairie and how he maintains it?
2.) Is there a planter that would handle grass and in example also corn seed.
3.) We have 33 HP tractor. Will it handle four rows no till planter in clay soil that can be quite hard during dry period?
4.) What would be good planter to buy?
5.) Or is it better just to rent a planter for particular task.
Thanks

 

[storming norman]

I have a 2 row no till planter that my son helped me make, pulls easy. If you are going to plant beans back, you can use any planter to plant beans, and just disk the ground a couple of times to losen soil.

 

[jbooth]

I would recommend renting a grass drill/planter since hopefully it will be a 1 shot deal. At least it will be one shot if you stay in the CRP for the duration of the contract. Some grain drills do have a grass seeder in addition to grain. These drills will normally do the grass and small grain up to beans. It takes a special grass planter to handle the fluffy grass seed and a row planter would not work well. I put 75 acres in CRP about 6 years ago and rented a grass drill from the county NCRS office. I have a 1 row planter (JD 71) that I use plant beans, corn, and milo. I mow and rake a fire guard around my CRP and try to burn every 2 years. Just a standard mower and a landscape rake. For clover I just work the ground and broadcast the seed then drag and pack for soil to seed contact. I have been very satisfied with my clover stands but not satisfied with the clover durability due to the dry conditions over the last 3 years. A word of caution on the CRP mix. Don't give up on it because of a poor stand. Give it at least 3-4 years to get going good.

 

[Redneck in training]

Thanks for the advice. I think that is what I would do. Buy a grain planter and rent grass planter either from DNR or from the people that sell the Prairie mix.
I am still not sure what kind of prairie I should plant. I was thinking about blooming mix on front 40 and tall grass on the back 40. But I have second thoughts about that. Pheasants don't like tall grass I was told. I guess I need to research it more.
I try to do inventory of animals of interest present or coming to the property. So far I saw or photographed quail, lot of deer, turkeys, bobcat, coyotes, foxes and I hear pheasants once a while before they roost.
I don't hunt (yet) but my son is avid hunter so it is mostly his project.

 

[jbooth]

I doubt there will be many options if it going to go into CRP contract. It is generally specified what can be used, if Iowa is like Kansas. There may be some options as to the mixes but all will need to be approved CRP mixes. In my case it was Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem, Indian grass, forbs and a few others that have slipped my mind. My wife required me to do some wildflowers in the mix also. There are quite a few rules as in any government program but in order to receive annual payments you have to try to follow their rules.

 

[Redneck in training]

In fact I am going to follow the rules. If I undertood it well one of the approved mixes is tall grass and there are quite few mixes of blooming prairie. I will stop at the DNR office and talk to the county biologist before I make any plans and/or purchase of seed or equipment.