Crop × region varieties
Brassicas varieties for the Corn Belt Core.
3 reviewed varieties for the Corn Belt Core. Humid continental with the highest-productivity row-crop soils in the United States. Long-enough season for full-RM corn (108–115) and MG 2.5–3.8 soybeans.
- 175-day avg season
- 32–42" rain/yr
- 4 states
Purple Top Turnip
GoodMultiple — generic seed
Purple top turnip is the easy-button brassica for Corn Belt food plots — broadcast in late summer (early August in MW-2), establishes fast, and frost-triggered sugar conversion in November consistently turns whitetails onto the plot just as bow season transitions to gun season. Cheap seed cost per acre is a major reason it remains a food plot staple.
Trophy Radish
GoodMultiple — Daikon-type forage radish
Trophy radish is the most widely-deployed forage radish in Corn Belt food plots — fast establishment, heavy summer foliage that deer browse aggressively, and tap roots that improve soil structure as they decompose after winter kill. Strong dual-purpose (food plot + cover crop) value.
Daikon Radish (Tillage Radish)
ExcellentMultiple — Cover Crop Solutions and others
Daikon (tillage) radish is the gold standard cover crop tap-root species for Corn Belt no-till operations. Penetrating taproots reach 24–36 inches into compacted subsoil layers; winter-killed tops decompose rapidly and release N for the following corn crop. Iowa State, Penn State, and several other land-grants have published trial data on daikon as a cover.
Verify with university trials
The trial reports below are the source of record for variety performance in the Corn Belt Core. Bookmark them and pull the current report each spring before ordering seed.