Thinking about planting oats.

Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member
Just don't know a blessed thing about how to grow oats. I could use a rundown on the process from tillage to harvest, or a link to a good article would be OK too. All my searches turn up articles about growing them in your garden.

So I have a 7 acre field I use for testing new things and substantially more for later if things work out. Field has corn stubble on it now. Corn came off a few days before Christmas and tillage was not happening due to weather.

Tractors ranging from < 10 HP to 160 HP. I own or can get pretty much any type of tillage equipment for seed bed prep. I have an older IH grain drill, but it works fine. Have field sprayers up to 50' wide coverage. Have a good axial flow combine, needs grain or flex head. And I do believe I have a market but don't know how they need to be handled after harvest in terms of drying, storage, etc.

Earliest I can hit the field is late April due to work constraints. We generally have at least one snowfall of merit after mid April.

Any guidance would help. I can get it in the ground, but that don't mean I know how to grow it. :)
 
Plant it early!

Tillage is easy, scratch up the ground. A disking is all, even light disking. Drill it in, harrow it smooth - since you will have lots of stalks angle the harrow very flat or use a -very- light disking after seeding. Oats grows easy, don't get it too deep but it mostly doesn't care get a little dirt on it. Looks like hell sprouting out of disked stalks, but it ends up the same good oats.

The earlier you plant the better.

Plant about 3 bu per acre.

And try to plant early.

If you have richer soil, don't put too much N on, if any. It likes to lodge over and fall flat if it gets too much N. Some P and K is used, doesn't need a whole lot.

Often don't have to spray it, it comes up early and competes well with weeds. Might need a shot of a broadleaf killer If you have a lot of broadleaf problems.

The earlier you plant it, the better it yields (test weight) and the less weed problems you'll end up with, if I didnt mention that yet.

Often nice to seed down so,e clover, cheap alfalfa, or other cover crop with the oats. Plow it down at the end of the year for n for next years crop.

My best oats crops were planted with a little snow on the edge of the field yet or frost in the ground, get in early with a real light tillage and plant and drag and wait for July or August to harvest. Pretty easy crop, low input.


Paul
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Like paul says, oats is a cool season crop. Likes a cold, wet Spring. Wheat can be seeded in ground with frost not all out, oats just after. Oats getting snowed on is no big deal. When I was a Senior, (1961) we seeded on Saturday, got snow on Easter Monday, took weeks to emerge, but was fine.

Spraying oats is not common anymore...used to be with 2,4-D for broadleafs. Limited spraying if interseeded. Hot, dry summers cut the yield. We normally swath oats cuz of the green undergrowth needing several days to dry, then use a windrow pickup head on the combine. You can straight cut if the field is clean, by locking up the cutterbar on a floating cutterbar or a flex head.

Small grains are generally not dried- you just wait until the crop is mature and dry.
 
I do it a little different here....Very light tillage [field cult.,or disk with straight gangs] spin on100 to 120 lbs oats,100 lbs 0 -0-60,and 100 of AMS. So with 300+ pounds going on , set spreader for 150/acre and double spread. Then make one more trip with packer. Plant early....spray if broadleaves start showing up. Combine when dry[12to 14%]
Always have horse people looking for Oats grain and no problem getting rid of straw.
 
I'll add my 2 cents worth since your climate is not too different from ours in southern Ontario.

It would have been ideal to have the field fall plowed; since its not, be very careful with spring tillage so as to not incur excessive soil compaction. A no til drill may be your best bet, otherwise a light tillage to provide a shallow but even seedbed would work; in both cases, be sure there soil is dry enough to work without getting compacted---this is your biggest threat since oats are a shallow rooted crop and will not penetrate a compacted layer of soil, thus reducing their ability to absorb moisture. Having said that, however, planting early is essential---late April is at the end of your planting window--yeild potential begins to go down with planting dates after mid April; so it becomes a balancing act between soil conditions and the calendar---I have sowed as early as mid March with excellent results. Planting rates vary from 80 to 120 lbs per acre; the early the planting date, the lower the rate can be due to oats tendency to tiller with sunlight. Ideal timing would see the crop heading out on the longest day of the year since oats are very photo-sensitive.

Fertilizers are best determined by a soil test and previous crop history--generally a blend of 15-15-15 at around 200 lbs per acre will be sufficient without causing lodging--can be broadcast or applied with the drill. Do not use above 30 lbs per acre of Nitrogen as urea applied with the seed to avoid seed burn.

If the field has had grssy weeds growing last year, these must be controlled prior to seeding; best by glyphoshate. Broadleaf control is cheap insurance using MCPA or 2,4-D, if you get on your hands and knees once the crop is up and can see tiny weed seedings, its time to spray. Later application of herbicide only allows the weeds to compete with the crop. Rust or leaf blights or fusarium type fungi ars not common here, but some growers do apply fungicides to contol them---best to check with ag reps in your area.

Harvest is quite simple--can be swathed or direct cut, depending on the amount of green material in the stalk---low cutting heights will obviously give the greatest straw yeild, and oat straw does have value greater than wheat straw. A good crop will yeild 100 plus bu/acre and if harvested at less than 14 % moisture can be stored for long periods; I usually add diatomeacous earth to the oats while filling the bin to control meal moth and weevils that can infest the grain. An aeration system in your bin will enhance the quality of stored grain. Combine settings are best determined by your operators manual as a starting point; I do not run a rotor type combine so I can;t help there, but an axial flow will do a good job

Pray for cool weather, lots of sun and timely rains and you will have a bumper crop!
Good Luck! Ben
 
In my opinion oats are very easy to grow but can be a real problem getting flattened by the wind, same of most small grains. I've found around my area putting them in a field without hedgerows makes a difference. I saw a field south of me one year that was about 20 acres and didn't have a single oat standing when they were ripe. Keeping the stalks on the short side by using the right fertilizer helps.
 
So earlier than later. That is going to be a problem, I bet. Going to be real hard to get away from making a living that time of year. If I can get the help around here to get everything pulled out I could maybe run out there one day and see what gets done. Also going to play heck getting the weather to cooperate. Wait and see, I guess.
 
Ever plant after corn? I am wondering about volunteer corn? Seems like most corn kraps out if it has too much competition but...?
 
Good info! What do you use to swath the oats? I have seen windrow machines at the auctions but don't own one. I could cut it with a sickle and rake it but would be afraid of losses from the rake. I saw one of those combine pickups at an auction last year and didn't buy it cause I didn't know what it was. Fit my combine, too. Guess I better hunt one up.
 
Appreciate your time and all the great info! I had heard of a need to apply fungicide to oats to keep the straw bright. I do want to sell the straw. I have an ongoing hay operation so it is nothing to me to bale the straw. Need to look into the fungicides though. It can get rank around here in July and August.
 
I have watched the wheat crop around here locally. Never had much of a problem with wind damage until two years ago when the wet spell started. All that moisture seemed to create lush tall growth. Quite a bit blown down that year.
 
I had a JD 800 swather for many years- cut alfalfa and barley with it. Conditioner must come off for barley. You can"t use a sickle mower and rake- it will knock the seed out.
 
Yeah, I figured. Some of this stuff was available on the cheap last summer. Wish I had picked it up! I'll weigh all the options and figure it out. I would prefer to swath it than try to set the combine high.
 
Neighbor did the cut and rake when his header went bad and didnt have a swather.... Then he hired me with my JD 800 to do the field closer to me.

I can't imagine the raking went well.

A swather sets the grain with the stems down, the heads up, cradled to dry out. Aside from the grain loss of raking, it wouldn't be lined up well.

Paul
 
Will be doing exactly that on small 6 1/2 acre patch this year. This was conventional corn so if VC too bad...will probably spray RU 10 days before combine or more likelyswat the oats and combine 5 days later. Here [ like too swat the crop...evens out grain moisture and can bale straw right behind combine]

John
 
First thing to think about is the corn herbicde you used going to carry over check with the chemical dealer. your 1660 should have chewed up the corn residue pretty well . I have an ih 720 6/18 plow and when we use to plow i could go in and turn the corn under. If you dont have a high clearenc plow you can disk or chop the stalks plow or chisel then disk again you want to turn under as much residue as possible. those old drills will ride over the stalks and leave the seed on top of the ground. you should set the drill to plant two and a half bushel per acre for new oats and three bushel per acre for bin run oats. if you are under seeding alfalfa go 12 to 15 ponds per acre we also put in orchard grass at 3 to 5 pounds per acre. then drag the field. when the oats are ripe take some heads in your hand and rub them between your palms and then blow on them when the shell easily i swath them . leave about 4 inches or more of stubbel so they will dry more if you have wet ground. if you cant find a swather a farmer near me use to cut his oats with an ih 990 haybine he would block the rolls apart i suppose this could be done on other haybines as well . i dont like to do it that way because the reel cant be raised enough and i think it shells to much. when i combine i take out the stationary knives on my 1440 if you have a straw chopper on your 1660 i would do the same the rotary combines chew up the straw . after combining we try to bale the straw right behind the combine raking the straw with a bar rake scatters it to much and i think it leaves to much in the field .a wheel rake does a better job of gathering the straw .
 
Well, no small coincidence, but I do have an IH 720 6/18 plow that I bought about a year and a half ago in anticipation of plowing under corn stalks. It is unlikely that it will pull thru that field in March here, though. Ground will be too wet underneath. Even if I wanted to make a mess like that I don't think 160 horses is going to be enough to drag it thru. I can shallow chisel or run a disk over it though. The top foot or so should be dry enough for shallow tillage. I could also pull a small packer behind the drill if that would help get soil contact. Problem here is that the corn was not ready until late December. Right after I took it off we had a deep freeze and snow. If this starts to melt off in February then March will see some nice days and possibly I can do oats by late March. Not going to get any deep tillage done now though. Also have a IH 990 combine but it is kept on hay fields 20 miles from the farm. Don't care to use it for swathing. Too much hassle, too inefficient and I can buy a decent swather for a fair price.
 
I overlooked this the other day when I posted a question on the tractor forum concerning oats. Since this is getting more response I have another question and will post it here.

The seed company that sells the oats says planting depth is 1-2". Those who do this for a living and responded said scratch the ground toss em in and spread a little dirt over them.

My problem is if I have to have the kind of depth the seed producer recommends I will have to drill them. I want to broadcast them as the ground is still wet and the drill will just get all gummed up.

What to do, what to do?

Comments appreciated.

Mark
 
sounds like it is about the same in this area . not much field work till april most years. when my dad bouugt that plow he pulled it with a 1086 his brother would pull it with a 3788 a friend of mine had one that they were all deere and they used a 4440 . dads cousin rented mine and used a 4840 on it the 4840 had enouh power but no fluid spun a lot . i use to plow with a 3394 the ground around here varies from heavy botttom land to sandy rocky ridge. a deere collector wanted to have a plow day last fall but the corn crop here was late. so i had to chisel the field have to wait another year . i went down to dads today to check on some drill dates but couldnt get to the drill. i know there is a late march date on it and in 2013 we planted the corn before the oats so that would be late may or even early june. dad use to tell that grandpa planted in febuary one year and got a heavy snow right after he said the snow buried the drill up to the handles was the best oat crop ever. we use to plant oats after peas in late july for grazing the sheep in the fall it would make hay and head out but to green to combine .
 
Have done it either way and the oats will grow.
Not as much loss to the birds when drilled a little deeper I suppose and when I broadcast I usually up the bushel per acre. Put 4 bushel/acre on last time I broadcast vs 2 1/2 drilled.
 
Thanks.
I guess the weather will determine the method. Nice thing about
drilling is that my roller will fit behind the drill and I can plant and
pack with one pass. I like that. We DO have a nice following of
crows also.

Mark
 
Wouldn't the crimper on a haybine shatter seed? Or is it possible to open up the rolls enough to prevent that if using a haybine for swathing oats?
 
I don't know if mine would open enough to allow them to go thru but I can tell you the pickup reel would likely shatter most of it. Not a gentle process. Also, if you look at a draper head on a swather it is basically cutting and laying the grain with all the heads in one direction, then dropping it into the swath like that. Haybine is not going to do that. I would also question that the material would go thru the haybine without the grabbing action of the rolls. I suspect you would end up with a big mess on the floor between cutter and rolls.
 
Thanks for the reply, Dave. Thought as much.

Last time I participated in oats on any scale, was with an uncle who was using an All-Crop - I was about 45 years younger and worked the bagger. I know he was getting too much 'green' in the bags, as they had to be opened and spread out once we got them off the field. Somehow I missed the re-bagging. :)
 
Most of my haybines were JD 1209s. The rollers had rubber
coverings and the rubber had ridges and valleys that were
aligned. The two rollers didn't actually touch but the offset of
the two things mentioned would force a thick stemmed crop to
bend thus breaking the stem.

On those machines I never cut oats but seems to me that they'd
do just fine as long as they were green and the plant was not
matured to the point that the seed pods were ready to fall off.

Mark
 

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