The option of oats for hay is becoming increasingly popular in some regions where growers have identified it as profitable and as a tool to manage herbicide resistance. Avoid fields with herbicide carryover, and topdress 40 pounds of nitrogen per acre unless the previous crop was heavily fertilized. The oats are planted in the spring of the year and cut and harvested for hay in the early summer. The best rotational crops include canola, hay, soybeans and other legumes. Store the oats in a warm, dry area while curing them. Oats for hay should be harvested when the grain is in the soft dough stage. Oats may be one of our most under-used fall forages. Eight tips for growing perfect oats. When compared to alfalfa cut at the same level of maturity, oat grass hay is lower in crude protein and lower in digestible energy. . Could you use some extra pasture or hay in late September and October? Growers should check exporters' specific requirements if they are interested in this market. In early spring or fall, weed and till the planting area. This option is often considered either when forage is short or when the soybean crop is damaged for harvest as a grain crop (for example. Take the top floret and squeeze between the tops of your fingers. Oats might be the answer, suggests University of Nebraska Extension forage specialist Bruce Anderson. The Legacy. Oats were grown on only 265,000 acres in North Dakota in 2018. He sold the red clover – that subsequently grew after oat harvest – for hay in the fall. Oat can be planted in late winter through early spring for use as forage or hay and offer some help for increasing a short forage supply. In addition to being a favored spring-planted companion or cover crop for forage seedings, they have historically been harvested as a cash grain crop. Rake soil over the seeds and keep the soil moist. Also, we bale the straw for cow bedding. Oats for grain generally are harvested with a combine. Some of your best forage growth may still be ahead of you. In this area we explore using oats to produce high quality export hay. There are specific requirements for hay for the export market that are different to usual on-farm requirements. Some parts of this site work best with JavaScript enabled. following hail damage or an early frost). Oats can also be baled for hay when it's between the boot and early-heading stage.” For hay, cut oats soon after plants begin to dry out following a killing freeze, or cut earlier if plants reach a desirable growth stage. With good moisture, oats will be ready to graze about 6 to 8 weeks after emergence. UNL web framework and quality assurance provided by the, Apply to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Give to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Explore Beef (The People. Adding hay or roughage to the diet will slow down animal performance as the animal substitutes the Last year with the weather, we weren't able to get it in until June. In some years oaten hay for export or domestic purposes can be can be more profitable than grain. Or, oats planted under irrigation can be cut for hay early enough to permit double cropping to soybeans or a summer annual forage crop or even to corn for silage. A fully prepared seedbed usually is best, but you can plant oats directly into wheat stubble or other crop residues if weeds are killed ahead of planting. By Angela Lovell Contributor . Forage oats is the main winter forage crop in Queensland due to its ability to produce good-quality feed when most pastures are dormant. Spread out a tarp or sheet and then either stomp the oats loose from the stalks (cover the oats first before tromping all over them) or use some other implement, like a plastic baseball bat, to thresh the oats from the stalks (chaff). Many processors recommend cutting at this stage as quality declines significantly after the water ripe stage. When planning for hay cutting it is important to consider rain events. Oats and peas can be planted as a nurse crop for alfalfa or other hay seedings, or grown alone. When monitoring hay crops to determine when to cut: Some hay varieties (such as Winteroo) maintain a green plant colour throughout the milky dough stage. The best way to grow oats is to find an area where the soil has a pH between 6 and 7. Page last updated: Thursday, 5 October 2017 - 1:39pm, Oats: hay quality for export and domestic markets, AFIA - Australian Fodder Industry Association, Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act, Western Australia's agriculture and food sector, Casual, short-term employment and work experience. Plain old dull oats. they’ve now become a high-quality and very productive forage crop! Please note: This content may be out of date and is currently under review. Export markets demand bright green, dry hay. Hay — Oat should be cut for hay at early heading to maximize yield and quality. The oat crop is grown specifically for hay instead of harvested for grain. Farmers can … The harvested forage is generally higher in quality and more palatable to animals than oats grown alone. Oats can accumulate nitrates, so test hay before feeding. Published: May 2, 2011 Cereals, Features. Check the crop every two days and then daily as development gets closer. Optimum-planting time for forage oats is from late March to Early April. It’s August and fall is just around the corner. Independent comparative data on variety performance for hay is limited. ), The National Academies Press: Agriculture. Re: Growing/sowing oats for hay in reply to randy hall, 07-13-2012 19:30:23 I don't know about Va. but in Texas many acres of Oats are planted in the Fall and either grazed out,harvested for grain or baled for hay. Some of your best forage growth may still … Oats sown at a rate of 1 to 1½ bushels (32-48 lbs.) That's right. Some processors however may prefer hay cut at a different development stage, so check with your exporter before cutting. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's 2018 Oat Variety Guide provides a comparison of grain yield, grain quality, hay yield, hay quality, herbicide tolerance and disease resistance for new and established milling oat varieties. per acre i a goosd companion crop for spring seedings. Anderson calls oats “one of our most under-used fall forages.” He favors it because it grows fast, thrives under cool fall conditions, has good feed value, and can produce over 2 tons of hay … These include earlier cutting times, green hay colour, low moisture content, freedom from weeds and thin-strawed varieties. If you have good soil moisture, give fall oats a try. But when they're planted for grazing, an additional 30 lbs/acre of nitrogen are recommended. Oats are sometimes grazed, but the main use is for hay and silage, fulfilling an important role as feed for livestock operations in the Northern Great Plains of North America. Oats are grown in every county in North Dakota, with the major area of production in the southwestern quarter of the state. Specialist cultivars for hay production are being developed to meet export quality specifications for Australia’s growing oaten hay export trade to Southeast Asia. Walk into the crop and check a number of areas of the paddock. In Koehler’s case, he underseeded red clover with oats in both 2018 and 2019. Some oat varieties do not meet the exporters standard and therefore will not be accepted for delivery. Calves and yearlings can gain over two pounds per day. A watery green substance will come out when it is at the watery ripe stage (Z71). Selecting appropriate cutting time is critical in achieving this standard whilst maintaining hay yield and quality. For hay, cut oats soon after plants begin to dry out following a killing freeze, or cut earlier if plants reach a desirable growth stage. However, summer seeded oats tend to mature more slowly as days shorten in the fall, so may require an additional 10 days or so. However, this option can be somewhat expensive with substantial risk involved due to weather, insects and diseases. Calculating / estimating seeding rates Drill three to four bushels into new fields for hay. Oats can accumulate nitrates, so test hay before feeding. . This oat hay produces a high protein feed suitable for cattle, horses and sheep. But be careful to avoid grass tetany on lush oat pasture; ask your veterinarian if you should supplement with magnesium. Shifts toward earlier plantings of oats have been shown to have significant benefits on oat grain and hay yields. By Steve Barnhart, Department of Agronomy Oats have been an important crop in Iowa. The grain should not contain more than 13 percent moisture for safe storage. Oats might be your answer. Mow and c a remove oatosot stage o at b graze lightly whr n e oats are 10 inches high. Oats seeded on August 1st would typically be ready to harvest in early-October. Certain precautions should be taken to store oats away from rodents, and … "However, growth and vigor are typically greater where pre-plant tillage is used." Some oat varieties do not meet the exporters standard and therefore will not be accepted for delivery. Research has shown that the optimum time for cutting oaten hay is at the watery ripe stage (Z71), the earliest stage of milk development. To thicken existing hay fields, drill about one to two bushels per acre as soon as possible directly into the existing crop. To plant oats, drill about 3 bushels of oats per acre in early August for maximum yield potential. In winter oat growing areas, oats are integrated into pasture-silage systems. If you have good soil moisture, give fall oats a try. Oats can be intercropped for silage and autumn grazing, and used as fodder for swath grazing. Also, don't suddenly turn livestock out on oat pasture if they have been grazing short or dry pastures. Oats planted beyond early July won’t get a young farmer out of the classroom, but these aren’t your grandpa’s oats . Forage is grazed before stem elongation, allowing the crop to recover and produce grain for harvest. Oats can springboard cover crops off to a good start after harvest in late July or August. When oat grass hay is correctly managed using optimal fertilization programs, we can increase fiber digestion and growth of the plant while minimizing water soluble carbohydrates (Malik et al., 2011). Planting too early or too late can reduce forage yield. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's Agriculture and Food division is committed to growing and protecting WA's agriculture and food sector. Even flying oats onto corn fields severely damaged by weather or to be chopped early for silage can work, although rye tends to work better for flying on seed. Pull any weeds that pop up as the oats grow. If you have good soil moisture, give fall oats a try. Sudden respiratory problems can occur. A shortened version of the URL, helpful when communicating the URL over email or verbally. For hay, cut oats soon after plants begin to dry out following a killing freeze, or cut earlier if plants reach a desirable growth stage. This month's digital sponsors: KEYWORDS Oat for hay oats for forage oats forage crop planting oats Sowing oat seed. Rain over 12mm on cut hay may drastically downgrade it compared to hay left standing for an extra two weeks. Oats are able to be grown as both hay and grain. Typically, two-thirds of the oats planted are harvested for grain and the rest is grown primarily for forage/hay. To reduce disease pressure and optimize yields, oats should not be grown after cereals. Soybeans can be harvested as a hay or silage crop. Once the kernels are ripe, you can thresh out the oats. Related Articles. In recent years, as market demands and cropping systems have changed, oats are more often being harvested as hay or silage for livestock. Some producers plant a mixture of oats … There are specific requirements for hay for the export market that are different to usual on-farm requirements. Oats can accumulate nitrates, so test hay before feeding. IT’S RAINING HAY! Our target planting date is late March to early April. Plus, it dies out over winter, so it protects soil without causing planting problems next spring. Oats for hay can also be sown in a cross fashion (in two directions) to accommodate more plants which aids in reducing stem thickness and weed population. The resultant scouring is normal when stock are grazing on highly digestible, high-moisture, green feed. The recommended planting rates are 25 – 50 kg KEY: / ha dryland and 50 – 75 kg / ha irrigated. This article appeared in the August/September 2017 issue of Hay & Forage Grower on page 30. "Oats may be successfully planted no-till," Martin says. The forage also helps nix erosion by covering the soil longer into the growing season. It grows fast, thrives under cool fall conditions, has good feed value, and can produce over 2 tons of hay or pasture yet this year. Many farmers rely on oats to fatten livestock during the period from autumn to early spring. High yields and good milling quality are what most oat producers strive for, and achieving these goals may depend on where they are grown and under what kind of production system. Dual-purpose oat cultivars are widely used in Australia for grazing. Then, lay the oat seeds 1/4 inches apart in rows. or increase hay and silage production. Cutting at this stage will deliver the best compromise between yield and quality. Organise contractors to cut hay as soon as possible after water ripe, keeping in mind rainfall events. he bT oot sta ge i when s there is a lump in the stalk but the head has not yet These include earlier cutting times, green hay colour, low moisture content, freedom from weeds and thin-strawed varieties. growing conditions are highly digestible and often contain 80%–85% moisture (15%–20% dry matter). Growing oats in Western Australia for hay and grain Raj Malik Blakely Paynter Cindy Webster Amelia McLarty Follow this and additional works at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/bulletins Part of the Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons, Plant Breeding and Genetics Commons, and the Weed Science Commons The Land. 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