Scatterseed - 7/24/2015 11:29

Last year was the first year we struggled with test weights -- mostly because of rust, or so we think.

Spurs and Deon varieties. Spurs are shorter and less prone to lodging. Deon is more resistant to rust... or so I recall.

Drilled the oats after a field cultivation. Not sure if cultivation and planting methods contribute to lodging, but have been asked before.

Regalia is an organic approved fungicide but is getting attention for conventional growers as well.

Rhyzup is a growth regulator that I'm assuming helps with overall lodging issues as well as causes other agronomic effects that are positive. Someone in Ohio has been doing it and is seeing good results. I really wished I'd had it applied this year.

A continuous flow dryer seems to work well for me. I use an air system to blow them around some which helps remove some chaff, but also tends to give better test weight results by the time the buyer gets to look at them.

Most of my experience is with swathed oats. But i'm not always sure I get them all in the combine! Not sure where the loss occurs, but straight-cutting at least gets them to the combine. From there, I decide how many go out the back!

Good luck. We don't claim to have the answers. Fun to combine when it all works out. Again, seems a lot is really not in our hands and the credit belongs to the One who adds the increase!