Posted 1/1/2026 16:43 (#11492825 - in reply to #11492712) Subject: RE: Growing oats, good oats
Latimer Iowa
The spots that lodge from high fertility do very well. Some of the best areas of the field as long, as its not way to thick of manure, that the stand was affected. Getting the fertility/manure evenly spread is key. Guys used to take bedpack manure and unload it a couple inches deep as wide as the spreader and then they really have issues.
Spots that lodge from double planting at 180 lbs per acre or so don't seem to be any better or worse than the rest of the field.
I think pushing the population and fertility is a good way to get higher yields. I am doing some experimenting with 130 lbs per acre seeding rate and 150 units of N as manure. Last year this field was flat/lodged though, we had terrible weather for harvest as mentioned... Modern heads do make it easier but we still ended up cutting one way. The Macdon FD 250 worked better in down oats then the Shelbourne 42' stripper. I really like getting out there before they are dead ripe and then finishing them in the dryer. They seem to be more likely to blow down if dead ripe.
Short varieties help too. Our lodging seems as much by variety as anything else. I posted some pics of the trial field earlier last year but would have to search for them.
I don't know the O.P. or what equipment he has but for a first time guy pushing the limits might give him a sour taste.
What are you seeing on your trials? I am sure different varieties too. What varieties are working up there? It would be fun to plant a quarter of something from up there and see what happens. How are you putting down fertility? Before I had enough manure we would sometimes run DAP in one compartment of the 1910 air cart and seed in the other.
Growing oats, good oats
