Oats are a very good forage for grazing, chopping, as well as hay.  Oats generally produce a very high quality feed product.  They are also a good fit for producing cover and biomass in the spring for cover crops, or as a nurse crop for alfalfa. 

There are many spring varieties, and we have been working with some Walken oats for a winter oat.  We also handle SoilSaver black oats.  Black oats are a different species and have a more fibrous root mass and tiller more than white oats do.  Currently they are looked at more on the cover crop side, but may be a very good forage source as well.

We usually have several varieties of oats on hand.  We will have forage types as well as those more suited for seed production, and usually a few varieties of the dual-purpose class.

Shelby 427 Oat

A cross between SD99674/ND960851. Shelby 427, when compared to Jerry and Reeves, has superior grain  yield, test weight, crown rust and lodging resistance. It has a medium plant height and a early medium maturity. It also has a high groat percentage, very good stem rust and barley yellow dwarf virus resistance.  Shelby 427 has been a very reliable variety for many customers both as a forage producer and grain yield as well over the past four years.

Origin…………SD
Year Rel………….09
Leaf Rust…………S
Stem Rust…………MS
Stripe Rust…………MR
Relative Maturity (Days)…………2
Straw Strength…………Good
Relative Plant Height…………Med-Tall
Protein…………Med-High
Beards…………White
PVP+…………Yes

Goliath Oat

A white-hulled, spring oat developed by the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (SDAES) and released in 2012. The line was tested as SD090552 and was developed from the two parent population IL99-1338/SD97575-38-154. Varieties in the pedigree include Rise, Settler and Troy. Goliath has late maturity, heading 1.7 days later than Stallion. Goliath is 4.3 inches taller than Stallion. Goliath has excellent grain yield and forage yield potential, as well as good test weight. 

Origin…………SD
Year Rel………….12
Leaf Rust…………MR
Stem Rust…………R
Stripe Rust…………R
Relative Maturity (Days)…………11
Straw Strength…………Good
Relative Plant Height…………Tall
Protein…………Med-High
Beards…………White
PVP+…………Yes