Oats

Oats are a very good forage for grazing, chopping, as well as hay. Oats generally produce a very high quality feed product. They are also a good fit for producing cover and biomass in the spring for cover crops, or as a nurse crop for alfalfa.

There are many spring varieties, and we have been working with some Walken oats for a winter oat. We also handle SoilSaver black oats. Black oats are a different species and have a more fibrous root mass and tiller more than white oats do. Currently they are looked at more on the cover crop side, but may be a very good forage source as well.

We usually have several varieties of oats on hand. We will have forage types as well as those more suited for seed production, and usually a few varieties of the dual-purpose class.

Winter Oats

• Walken oats have enough cold tolerance to survive our winters for the last 6 years

• Very good early and late forage production

• Medium water use and fair salinity tolerance

• Very good nitrogen scavenger

• Will form arbuscular mycorrhizal associations

Black Oats

• Winter cereal for Zone 8 and warmer

• Very fibrous root mass and tillers well

• Very good biomass production

• Works as a spring planted crop in colder climates

• Very durable residue when it reaches maturity

Spring Oats

• Upright plant

• Medium water use and fair salinity tolerance

• Will form arbuscular mycorrhizal associations

• Very good nitrogen scavenger

• Very good forage quality