Growing oats.

[blackpowder]

I'm not crazy about it but the minority shareholder wants to try seeding oats.
Where do I start.
Densities?
Soil type? Moisture?
Fertility?
Varieties
Markets.
Any comments at all.
Thanks.

[furrowtickler]

You have access to good germ , wild oat free seed ?
Number 1 start .
Seed minimal 3 bus/ac if dry , 4 if you have good moisture

Don’t wait till end of your seeding season to seed them .

For high yields , fertilizer much the same as wheat

Be prepared to swath if need be

Combine dry if possible

Be prepared for volume if good growing season

[Guest]

Arbourg proved heavier here this year
Difference between a #2 and a #4, but alas , more straw , also 10-15 BPA over Camden
We seed 4.5 BPA
70-30-14-0 fert for us
A real moneymaker for us over the years
Usually around 135 BPA normal here
Need relatively clean land free from wild oats for the most part , like canary seed
Don’t seem to need fungicide
Good rotation
Colour sorter will take wild oats outta seed when you clean it

[BreadWinner]

Negatives
Avoid if you have wild oats they also hate hot dry weather. Sask crop insurance coverage is terrible. Contracts are not forgiving, get dinged on light bushel weights, or staining if wet.
Positives
A little less Nitrogen needed, adds lots of OM to your ground, fills all the empty bins, keeps you busy hauling in January.

[BreadWinner]

Seed will be hard to find and $$$$

[AlbertaFarmer5]

This is the best advice I can give.

Might be best to stock up on antihistamines and anti-itch creams before you seed, just in case they are in short supply.
Because without those inputs, it would be a deal breaker for me.

[shtferbrains]

We have a just right climate for oats here and we expect to get 44# + oats. Thats where the big bushels come from and thats why we have dedicated oat facilities.

One natural advantage we can capitalize on.

If you get them going down you loose bushel wt.

Lots bag in the field cause you can't truck them away fast enough.

Quaker was active here buying direct. They realy took off as they paid significant premiums for premium quality.
Now The Andersons buy for them.
Ceres bought a Cargill facility to get in the market. That can't hurt.

Low herbicide cost, moderate fertilizer, cost moderate fungicide.

But you need cool nights to get bushel wt.

[Stormin]

You have access to good germ , wild oat free seed ?
Number 1 start .
Seed minimal 3 bus/ac if dry , 4 if you have good moisture

Don’t wait till end of your seeding season to seed them .

For high yields , fertilizer much the same as wheat

Be prepared to swath if need be

Combine dry if possible

Be prepared for volume if good growing season

Great info! Also some millers prefer oats without pre-harvest glyphosate, so yeah,seed early, that's what saved my crop this year!