Rapid growth aids in stabilizing disturbed or bare soil from environmental conditions. Oats can be easily chemically terminated and fall plantings commonly winterkill. Residue from oats suppress winter annuals and protect the soil throughout the winter and will decompose rapidly in the spring. Allelopathic chemicals released by the decomposing residue suppress weed germination for a few weeks. Oats high quality forage is more palatable than rye or wheat. Also, oat is less prone to insect problems than either wheat or barley. Winter oats have been shown to greatly reduce take-all of wheat.
When is the right time to plant? Compare the germination temperature listed below to your soil temperature. Read this article for more info: When Can I Start Planting?
| Basic Info | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maturity (Days) | Seeds/lb | C/N at Maturity | Growth Habit | Root Type/Depth | Cold Kill (F) | Dry Matter Potential(Tons/acre) |
| 90-110 | 15000 | High | Upright | Deep Fibrous | 20 | 2 - 5 |
| Use and Characteristics | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N Fix Potential | Lasting Residue | Palatability | Hay Harvest | Regrowth | Deep Compaction | Surface Compaction | Weed Suppression | Crimp Kill |
| Good | Excellent | Excellent | Fair | Fair | Good | Excellent | Moderate | |
| Planting | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant Depth | Min Germ Temp(F) | Drilled Seed Rate (lbs/acre) | Broadcast Seed Rate (lb/acre) |
| 1/2 - 1 1/2" | 38 | 80-100 | 100-120 |
| Tolerance | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | Drought | Shade | Wet Soil | Low Fertility | Low pH Soil | High pH Salinity | High pH Calcareous |
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |