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Description: The top right image shows an early growth stage of oats when the plant is approximately six inches tall. Oats can be planted early since they grow well in cool seedbeds and this reduces the incidence of disease. Wild oats can compete with cultivated oats, and thus need to be controlled by rotating crops, burning fields prior to planting, or seeding more heavily to compete with wild strains. Oats are often grown in rotation with non-cereal crops. Oat stubble fields are excellent for establishing wheat because diseases cannot be transferred between the crops. Oats can also be grown as a companion crop, as seen in the middle right image, where oats are being grown with alfalfa. Oats will help to get perennial crops established, but should be planted at 2/3 normal seeding rate when grown as a companion crop. The middle left and bottom right images show the seed head of oats prior to the harvesting stage. Depending on the market, oats should contain different levels of oil, protein, and weight per bushel. Oats grown for milling or human consumption should have low oil content for lower calories, a high weight/bushel, and high protein. Oats grown for feed consumption should have high oil content for increased energy, with a high weight/bushel and high protein. Groat percentage is also an important factor in grain yield because the groat is the grain after the hull has been removed, thus a high groat percentage is more desirable. A high groat yield can be achieved by planting a hull-less variety of oats. The bottom left image shows an oat field ready for harvest. Oats are harvested when the kernel reaches 35 % moisture (65% DM), the hull has turned brown and the seed changes from green to a cream color. The top left image shows oat seeds. Once harvested the kernels are dried to 12-14% moisture (86-88% DM). Oat kernels are susceptible to damage during combining, especially the hull-less varieties.

Resolution: 1320x1472

File Size: 1.71 MB