THE HIGH POINTS
• Extremely palatable forage to deer that provides outstanding energy and nutrition
• Five years in Whitetail Institute’s research, development and testing program
• Perennial mixture (last up to 5 years from a single planting with proper management)
• Up to 44 percent protein
• Penetrating and prolific root systems which enhance drought and heat tolerance
• Winter hardy
• Best performance on medium/heavy to moderately well-drained soils
• Optimum soil pH: 6.5 to 7.5
THE DETAILS
The Whitetail Institute’s research, development and testing process are entirely goal-oriented. That goal is product quality and high performance in a wide range of categories that include: early seedling vigor, rapid stand establishment, drought and heat tolerance, disease resistance, persistence, nutritional content and, of course, attractiveness to whitetails. Over the five years of Whitetail Institute’s research, development and testing of this product, Edge has met or exceeded the Whitetail Institute’s stringent standards which ensure success for your herd management and hunting success.
FORAGE COMPONENTS
Like most other Whitetail Institute forage products, Edge is a carefully designed blend of several plant species that have traits that provide optimum performance in the field and optimum results for your deer herd. We use blends for a couple reasons: 1) Rarely will a single plant type perform at the highest levels in all test categories; 2) Mixtures can adapt to the variable growing environments and conditions found throughout different growing regions and even in the variable conditions of your own food plot. You will find one of the components may be predominant in shady, wet area, while another component prevails in a sunny, dry area.
Because all the components are selected for field performance and deer preference and nutritional benefits, the flexibility of the blend ensures good food availability and nutrition throughout your entire food plot. That’s why the Whitetail Institute takes such care in selecting forage components that complement each other, and then determine the optimum ratios in which to combine them.
As a result, you can be sure that, like all Whitetail Institute products, Edge is well suited to a broad range of environments from the Southeastern U.S. to Alberta, Canada, and is highly preferred by deer. Edge contains the following forage components, some of which will be familiar to those who have planted other Whitetail Institute perennials. Edge includes proprietary forage varieties available only in Whitetail Institute products.
Persist Forb: The backbone perennial in Imperial Whitetail Extreme. Sweet, deeply rooted, cold/heat tolerant, and drought resistant. Persist performs well on light to medium-heavy soils in well-drained sites. Optimum soil pH of 6.5-7.5.
X-9 Grazing Alfalfas: The same high-tech grazing alfalfas found in Alfa-Rack Plus. Deeply rooted, winter hardy and extremely attractive to deer. Because these are true “grazing” alfalfa varieties, they have an excellent leaf-to-stem ratio. Like any alfalfa, X-9 grazing alfalfas should be planted in soils with soil pH of 6.5 or above.
WINA Perennial Forage Chicory: The same proprietary perennial forage chicory found in Imperial Whitetail “Chic” Magnet, Alfa-Rack Plus and Extreme. Deeply rooted. More palatable to deer because its leaves don’t become leathery and waxy like other chicories traditionally planted for deer.
Specially Selected Sainfoin Variety: High-protein legume that produces protein levels similar to those produced by high-quality alfalfas. Sainfoin is a non-bloating legume which increases palatability. Winter hardy as well as drought and heat tolerant to withstand hotter, dryer environments. The sainfoin variety included in Edge has been specially selected for its outstanding deer preference compared to all other sainfoin varieties tested by the Whitetail Institute.
WINA Golden-Jumpstart Annual Clovers: These are the same proprietary clovers included in other Whitetail Institute perennial and annual forage blends. These clovers sprout and grow very rapidly, providing fast green-up and attraction.
RAINBOND SEED COATING
Edge includes Rainbond, a high-tech coating component that contains water-absorbing polymer beads. These polymer beads act like a minireservoir, absorbing up to 200 times their weight in water that would normally be lost to evaporation or percolation through the soil, and keeping it right next to the seed as it germinates. The beads continue to absorb more water as the moisture in them is depleted. The seed coating and Rainbond on Whitetail Institute products dramatically improves seed-to-soil contact which is critical for successful seed germination and plant establishment.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Planting Dates. Edge is suitable for spring or fall planting in most areas, and during a single yearly planting date window in others. Planting maps for the United States and Canada are provided on the back of the product bags as well as on-line at www.whitetailinstitute.com.
Soil Type, Drainage and Soil pH. Edge is designed for medium or heavy soils in sites that are moderately well drained. As with any alfalfa or product containing alfalfa, soil pH should be within neutral range (6.5-7.5) at the time of planting.
Equipment Requirements. Equipment required to prepare the seedbed for Edge and to maintain the established forage is the same as for any Whitetail Institute perennial forage product. Seedbed preparation includes the incorporation of lime (when soil pH is below 6.5) by disking or tilling, and smoothing the seedbed with a cultipacker or drag-type implement to eliminate soil cracks and spaces before seeding. Maintenance includes mowing a few times in the spring and, if possible, once as fall approaches. Edge stands should also be sprayed for grass each spring if needed.
Bag Sizes. Edge is available in 1-acre (26 lbs.) and 1/4–acre (6.5 lbs.) sizes. If you have any additional questions about new Edge, call the Whitetail Institute’s in-house consultants at (800) 688-3030. The call and the service are free.
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