Photo by Matt Lindler

Photo by Matt Lindler

The dirt on chufa
Typically, land managers recommend planting chufa in sandy loam soils, based on the assumption that sandy soils allow wild turkeys to easily scratch the tubers. However, research conducted in South Carolina found that chufa production is highly successful in almost any soil type as long as the plants get enough nutrients and sufficient moisture.

Fertilization and proper soil pH are important for maximizing chufa production. Researchers found plots treated with liquid fertilizer produced more and larger tubers as compared to plots that were not fertilized. Chufa loves nitrogen. Providing 40 to 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre at planting with a soil pH between 6 and 7 will maximize nut production. Increased nut production also occurs when chufa is top-dressed with 300 pounds of ammonium nitrate per acre when the plants are 8 to 12 inches tall.

Turkeys and beyond
Wild turkeys will frequent areas where chufa is planted until they have consumed every last nut. They also will travel long distances to dig and scratch up the tasty morsels. Up until the early 1980s, the secret of its strong animal attraction was primarily a well-kept Southern secret, but a few seed companies started propagating chufas for wildlife seed. Chufa is also one of the top 10 most important waterfowl foods in the United States. So it's not just wild turkeys that are addicted to the chufa's charm.

Turkey Gold chufa — the magic nut

Year after year we are promised the "magic bean" for wildlife, and more times than not we find out that there's more to the story.

Turkey Gold Chufa may not be a magic bean, because it's actually a nut-like tuber, but when it comes to attracting and holding wild turkeys on your property, its about as close to magic as you'll find.

Chufa is a grass-like sedge that produces underground tubers which wild turkeys, ducks and other wildlife find absolutely irresistible. The tubers or nuts are rich in fat and carbohydrates and provide a highly nutritious wildlife food source.
It is among the world's oldest cultivated plants, dating back to ancient Egypt, where chufas were commonly used to make cakes and special drinks. They are still grown in Spain for food and, of course, the NWTF's Turkey Gold.

Chufa found its way to America more than 120 years ago, where it was once primarily used to fatten hogs before fall harvest. Sometime in the early 1900s, a few lucky folks in the Southeast realized that wild turkeys really dig chufa. Just like that, chufa became a secret weapon in the arsenal of Southern turkey hunters.

Chufa patch prowess

No matter where you live, chufa can work for you, too. Follow these seven tips to ensure growing success:

Chufa is most effective when planted as a stand-alone crop and not as part of a food plot mix. It can be planted beside other food plots and is especially effective when planted near high quality brood rearing and nesting areas. The combination of a well-managed perennial clover field adjacent to a chufa patch has been the demise of many old and wise toms.
Chufa should be planted in fields no smaller than an acre. Planting smaller patches increases the risk of wild turkeys consuming all of the chufa nuts prior to the spring season. The NWTF recommend fields two acres or larger to avoid this problem.
Rotate your chufa fields at least every two years to avoid weed competition and diseases.
Chufa requires a 90- to 110-day growing season and will grow in most areas where water and nutrients are readily available.
Selecting the right time to plant is critical. You want adequate moisture for germination, so plant just before the weatherman predicts a significant rainfall.
Chufa has a broad planting window in the Southeast, but it is best not to plant too early in the spring when there is significant weed competition. For this reason, many folks wait until July to plant their chufa in the Deep South.
Folks in the Northeast and Midwest don't have the luxury of a long growing season, so plant chufa the same time as corn. — Scott Vance, NWTF's assistant vice president of conservation programs