Oats Variety Comparisons.

How to choose an oat variety:

Crop Purpose: What are you planning to do with the oats? If you harvesting the variety for grain yield then you will want a high grain yielding variety. You may want to check with the milling companies to see which oat varieties they prefer. Plumpness becomes more important if you are selling your oats to the milling market. If you want to silage the oats or use it for green feed or swath grazing then you want to choose a variety with good forage yield potential.

How concerned are you about lodging? Are you seeding your oats under irrigation or in a high moisture area? Then lodging could be an issue for you. Look for a variety with good straw strength.

How important is height? If you are looking to harvest the oats for grain yield but want a lot of straw to bale after harvesting then plant height is an important criteria. If you don't want a lot of straw left over in the field for next year, then choose a shorter variety.