Fall Oats for Forage or Straw

If farmer needs forage or maybe they are short on straw, oats may be able to fill that need. There could be acres that didn't get planted in the spring or open ground after small grain harvest available to experiment with.

If planting for forage plan on grazing it or harvesting as haylage or baleage. Selecting a forage oat variety mixed with a pea is recommended, generally a 50/50 mixture planted at 100 pounds per acre. Plant 6-8 weeks before the first frost in the fall, (if October 15^th is the first frost date, plant in late August or early September). Plan on harvesting when the oats reach flag leaf growth stage.

If planting for straw, plant in the first half of August so the oats have more time to mature and there is a better chance of getting good weather to get it dry to bale. Seed at 80-100 pounds per acre and apply 50 units of nitrogen at planting. Generally, it will take 60-75 days after planting until full head emergence. Cut it before seed fill and allow the cut oats to bleach like precut rye straw before baling. The oats could also be baled for hay if desired and conditions allow. Getting a thick crop of oats dry enough to bale in early October could be challenging. Consider that risk as you determine how many acres you might want to try. Yields of 1–1.5 tons dry matter are average with the potential of double that with ideal conditions and fertility.

For more information on annual forages see this article on alternative forages.