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Effects of Seeding Rate on the Dry Matter Yield and Nutritive Value of Fall‐Grown Oat
Author(s) -
Coblentz Wayne K.,
Cavadini Jason S.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
crop, forage and turfgrass management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.29
H-Index - 10
ISSN - 2374-3832
DOI - 10.2134/cftm2016.0004
Subject(s) - seeding , avena , dry matter , cultivar , acre , forage , agronomy , yield (engineering) , zoology , biology , mathematics , physics , thermodynamics
Core Ideas For fall‐grown oat, the effects of seeding rate on lodging are likely to be inconsistent from year to year. There was no compelling evidence that yield is increased by exceeding traditionally recommended seeding rates. Nutritive value for fall‐grown oat is cultivar dependent, and related to cultivar maturation rate.Recent research has evaluated fall‐grown oat ( Avena sativa L.) as a potential forage‐management option, and dairy producers frequently ask about the most appropriate seeding rate for this unique use of oat forage. The objectives of this project were to examine the effects of seeding rate and oat cultivar on subsequent dry matter (DM) yield, potential for lodging, and forage nutritive value. ‘ForagePlus’ and ‘Ogle’ oat were established on 8 Aug. 2014 and 12 Aug. 2015 at seeding rates of 64, 96, 128, or 160 lb acre −1 (2, 3, 4, or 5 bu acre −1 ), and harvested with a flail‐type plot harvester on 3 Nov. 2014 and 4 Nov. 2015. For 2014, mean yields of dry matter (DM) were not affected by seeding rate (overall mean = 5378 lb acre −1 ; P ≥ 0.383). Lodging increased linearly ( P = 0.009) with seeding rate, and was greater within ForagePlus compared with Ogle oat ( P = 0.002). During 2015, there was no evidence of lodging associated with seeding rate ( P ≥ 0.206), nor were effects of cultivar detected ( P = 0.177). Yields of DM in 2015 could not be related to linear, quadratic, or cubic effects of seeding rate (overall mean = 3955 lb acre −1 ; P ≥ 0.316). For both years, DM yields from Ogle were greater ( P ≤ 0.015) than those from ForagePlus. Based on the results of this 2‐year study, there is no compelling evidence that DM yields of fall‐grown oat can be improved consistently by exceeding typical seeding‐rate recommendations for spring oat.