Wildlife damage – particularly from deer – has become a top challenge for many soybean farmers, especially in fields near woodlands. Surveys estimate that deer cause crop losses of $100 million annually. Traditional deer management strategies for farmers include hunting, fences and repellent. This project explores an alternative management strategy, biological fencing. Forage soybeans have potential to be used as a ‘deer fence’ on the borders of fields to protect yield in the majority of the field. Objectives are to compare yield losses between unfenced and biologically fenced soybean plots and to investigate the causes of deer preferences for specific soybeans.

Key Benefactors:
farmers, agronomists, Extension agents