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Post by prairieboy on Dec 18, 2020 10:42:34 GMT -6
I am not a regular oat grower but I thought this forum might cover some growers in oat country. I am looking to grow oats with a yield target of 150. This would be on heavy ground just west of the Red River valley up on the escarpment. My biggest fear from what I have seen in the past is keeping them standing. Thinking of putting on 90 lbs N. Is this too much? Is there anything else in the way of fertility to keep them standing? Any other suggestions appreciated as well! Thanks.
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Post by Beerwiser on Dec 18, 2020 13:43:19 GMT -6
Variety is your best bet for standing oats, I can't comment on the Red River valley soil and fertilizer program. 90#s of N is almost always a flat crop here.
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Post by SWMan on Dec 19, 2020 10:57:12 GMT -6
I won't claim to be an expert but have had good luck pouring the fertilizer to Summit and spraying with Manipulator. Not sure if Moddus is available for 2021 but it would be a good option too. I have put as much as 180# of N on but I think that was overkill. Usually around 55-60# of P and lots of elemental S in the program. Seeding rate usually around 3 bu/acre and two pass Twinline. I have about a 170 average in the last few years but this field was right around 200, right at the edge of what Manipulator could handle...ha ha  |
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Post by generalchaos on Dec 19, 2020 11:10:13 GMT -6
I won't claim to be an expert but have had good luck pouring the fertilizer to Summit and spraying with Manipulator. Not sure if Moddus is available for 2021 but it would be a good option too. I have put as much as 180# of N on but I think that was overkill. Usually around 55-60# of P and lots of elemental S in the program. Seeding rate usually around 3 bu/acre and two pass Twinline. I have about a 170 average in the last few years but this field was right around 200, right at the edge of what Manipulator could handle...ha ha View AttachmentDont you have issues with green straw? I’m going to be growing oats this coming season but a buddy of mine has issues with very green straw, which concerns me. |
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Post by Oatking on Dec 19, 2020 14:53:52 GMT -6
SWman is an expert in my mind, Cant really add to much more to his successful yields. I can say is dont be afraid of putting a 100 plus actual pounds of nitrogen on. I also like putting 15lbs of sulfur and I like spraying full rate tilt at herbicide time and a full rate at flag leaf. Most importantly is seed early and seed into a firm seed bed. Dont be to afraid to put them down 2 inches. With my disc drill its not as big of a factor but hoe drills need to get those oats deep enough so the hull can get enough moisture to germinate. I guess what i am trying to say is wheat germinates a lot better than oats. When i mean early seed it before your wheat. A lot of guys treat it as a filler crop and that is never gonna get you top yield. I have been using Summit and ORE3542M. I really like ORE3542M but seed both half and half annually. This year i booked a quarter of Endure. Ill see how that one goes and will compare that to summit and ore3542 that i also have booked for seeding!
Spray in the four leaf stage and spray on cooler days or wait past the heat of the day. All ways spray a fungicide. Oats is a crop that needs to be heavy for good milling quality.
Ok this one SWMAN and i differ on, I am a big fan of swathing oats. I like to seed heavy so you get less tillers and i find it helps cut down on the green. I like to swath Oats at 15 percent green on the plant. Usually if the top 4/5 of the plant is dead ripe the bottom is usually in the hard dough stage but appears green on the glume and I find cutting at this stage will not effect weight much. The reason i cut at this stage is too prevent shattering or prevent the chance of hail storms shelling out the crop. Another advantage is if you say get a 4 or 5 inch rain your land will dry out quicker and usually a rain like that wont cause spouting because it runs off fast. Oh and i swath in the opposite way i seed to keep the windrow above the ground. Some times i feel like the only guy left with MCDON windrowers, but the couple hundred thousand i have invested in them both have made me thousands and thousands over the years.
Oh and when you calibrate your air tank check your calibrations often. Oats has a tendency to flow faster during the day and slow down either on high humidity or early morning conditions. I allways found wheat or canola to be less finicky.
I love growing Oats and it has been the most consistent money making crop on my Red river clay loam soil. I have also applied Infinity and had decent control of green foxtail without burning the crop. Be careful though , and dont spray infinity on a humid day.
I do use the thousand kernel weight when determining my seeding rate in addition to going back to the old proven 3.45 bushels an acre for my seeding rate. Your question has got me excited about spring and cant wait to fire up the deere!
Good luck on the Oats and welcome to the real combine forum!
One thing I am always learning too! cheers
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jaymo
Full Member
Posts: 173
Likes: 76
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Post by jaymo on Dec 19, 2020 16:20:01 GMT -6
Good tips guys.
Any advice for straight cutting without preharvest glyphosate? It seems like it's getting hard to find buyers that want oats that have been sprayed even at a discount.
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Post by meskie on Dec 19, 2020 16:54:21 GMT -6
Good tips guys. Any advice for straight cutting without preharvest glyphosate? It seems like it's getting hard to find buyers that want oats that have been sprayed even at a discount. If the weather is good straight cutting without preharvest works good. This year there was no difference where we sprayed and where we didn’t to keep for seed. You need a clean field. We spray to get rid of weeds not kill the crop. We likely wait longer to pre harvest then most people. |
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Post by SWMan on Dec 19, 2020 23:04:04 GMT -6
On the preharvest thing I don't want to be a fanboy(because I'm not), but a Claas will pump through a lot of green straw. I haven't pre-harvested anything in four years and haven't swathed anything in three years. I would not argue one bit about swathing oats though, if it's ripe and you get a high wind a LOT can shell out quickly! Easier to straight cut on the dry years when the plant is dying from dryness for sure. One year I had some Camden and the straw was grass green even though grain was ripe, went to the swather for them and would caution anyone on that variety it is known for green straw.
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Post by meskie on Dec 20, 2020 0:14:43 GMT -6
On the preharvest thing I don't want to be a fanboy(because I'm not), but a Claas will pump through a lot of green straw. I haven't pre-harvested anything in four years and haven't swathed anything in three years. I would not argue one bit about swathing oats though, if it's ripe and you get a high wind a LOT can shell out quickly! Easier to straight cut on the dry years when the plant is dying from dryness for sure. One year I had some Camden and the straw was grass green even though grain was ripe, went to the swather for them and would caution anyone on that variety it is known for green straw. Any conventional is decent in green straw oats. (But a claas loves oats) We have combined oats that the straw had to dry for 3-4 days before we could bale it. Grain was good and dry straw not so much. |
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Post by prairieboy on Dec 23, 2020 14:49:43 GMT -6
Any conventional is decent in green straw oats.
A conventional can wolf through green straw easy enough but it is really hard to get loose seed out of green straw in my experience. Swathing shouldn't just be evaluated on the basis of shelling but on the ability to get the straw dry which can cut combine losses dramatically.
Interesting on the swathing opposite to seeding idea. Makes sense but sounds rough. What about going on a 15 degree angle or so. Wouldn't that help hold it up in case of case of rain as well?
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Post by Oatking on Dec 23, 2020 15:50:13 GMT -6
Yeah that angle would work too. When i seeded with discers many moons ago it was not an issue. General Mills has an Oat contract with Paterson Grain in Morris that offers almost 4 bucks a bushel off the combine for 2021. It is 3 delivery periods up to a hundred bushels an acre. Yeah 4 bucks may not look good now but, I think its a good price point to start locking in for 2021 new crop. The contract stipulates the oats are free of glyphosate and have no wheat, barley or rye in it.
General Mills is cracking down on cereal dockage because they want to be able to put the gluten free symbol back on the Canadian cheerio box. I am all for that considering two family members are gluten intolerant.
Its been great working with General Mills and its really nice they come to the farm and help discuss new agronomy tips. I am lucky thou, Morris and the Winnipeg terminal do take the lead in Oat deliveries in Manitoba.
It was interesting, when i was talking to the team at General Mills one concern they mentioned how Oat acres are getting pushed further and further north because the corn growing area is taking over in southern Manitoba.
I know General Mills works closely with growers in the Melfort and Yorkton area with a similar program.
My goal is 1000 dollars an acre gross. Getting closer every year! Goal is 235 bushels an acre and a price goal of 4.25. This year i maxed out at 191 bushels an acre and 3.75 dollar an average price.
So it is possible, 1000 dollars an acre gross . Lets giver !
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Post by kevlar on Dec 23, 2020 20:49:09 GMT -6
I think you need to tell General Mills to loosen their purse strings a bit. We have sold some of ours to a feed mill for 4 bucks and some to go out in Feb/March for $4.20, and some not priced yet. If They expect you to not grow those other crops they better pay a good premium, god knows they will be picking up a premium for your efforts. I do like your yields though!
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Post by Oatking on Dec 23, 2020 21:11:15 GMT -6
Yeah, I know more would be better kevlar, i am sure they could give more, but i need movement off the combine when bin space is a premium. I need more bins i guess. Kevlar you did well marketing! I hope those kind of prices hang around next year!
In the end its the weather that usually can dampen your best intentions.
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Post by kevlar on Dec 23, 2020 21:30:19 GMT -6
Biggest downfall to oats is the storage for sure. We have always done better selling canola off the combine and storing cereals for a better price. Our logic is cereals will be double the yield or better than canola, for us anyways, therefore the price only has to rise half as much as canola's price would rise to equal the same gains. If canola gains a dollar a bushel to store for a few months, cereals only have to go up 50 cents to gain the same, without the risk of storing canola. Would sure be nice to be in the position to store every bushel off the combine and have all the bills paid beforehand, could sure see a rise in income to store for a few months.
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radar
Junior Member
Posts: 62
Likes: 34
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Post by radar on Dec 29, 2020 11:17:30 GMT -6
We to like growing Oats also,,We also seed it first ,started with Camden then OR3542 then Arborg ..The Camden needed to be sprayed even tho it was first in, the last three years it s just about always green silage going thur the combines ..Our small cases don't like that. This year we tried something different we used AIM as a preharvest. It was registered last year and we can tell you it is a game changer, maybe it's a secret, but in 7 days the 4 foot plus Arborg went from green stems to crispy pink,,Went thur the old combines like butter and the straw broke up into little pieces. We thought it was well worth the cost . BUT ,now the fine print!! We did notice that the tall Aborg did want to fall over after 7 days after spraying... If i could fiquire out how to load up pics on the new site i would post some..Have been carefull on not using to much N ,the Arborg grew really tall almost 5 ft.
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