George Dr, Melvin

Kearney, Thomas E. : Thomas E. Kearney, Farm Advisors, Cooperative Extension, Yolo County

Schoner, Carl A. : Carl A. Schoner, Farm Advisors, Cooperative Extension, Yolo County

xelding ability of four oat hay varieties - California Red , Montezuma , Sierra , and Curt - under two cutting regimes was pre - California Agriculture viously reported in ( May 1976 ) . Sincethat time , additional infor - Update : mation has been gathered on the three stan - dard ( California Red , Montezuma , and Sierra ) and two new oat varieties , Cayuseand oat hay variety trials swan . Yields per acre and factors that influence palatability and nutritional value - grain Carl A . Schoner 0 Thomas E . Kearney 0 Melvin R . George yield , disease resistance , leafinms , and stem diameter - were compared . Influence of cut - ting stage on yield was evaluated over a two - Varietiesand time of harvest were evaluatedfor year period under high fertility and with irri - gation . Each variety tested has a particular set influence on yield . All varietiesperformed well . of characteristicsthat may be important in a given situation . All five were found to be highly suitable for producing high - quality hay . Cayuse is a late - maturing oat developed by N.F . Jensen , Cornell University , New York , susceptibility to barley yellow dwarf causes yields of all varieties in 1977 were due to and released in the state of Washington . This grain yield reductions , and wherethis is a ma - drought - 9.2 inchesof rainfall . Mild winters variety matures approximately three weeks jor disease problem , California Red oats and late spring rains are beneficial to all later than Montezuma under Sacramento should not be used . varieties , especiallythe late - maturing Cayuse Valley conditions . Cayuse is a tall oat , with a Oats are also affected by stem and crown and California Red . medium to coarse stem , but equal to all other rust diseases , which are most severe during In the irrigated trials , Cayusewas again the varieties in leafiness . Both this variety and warm , wet conditions that may occur with ( 8 tons per acre ) fol - top - yielding variety Swan are moderately susceptible to rust dis - late spring rains . In severe infections , oat lowed by Sierra , Swan , Montezuma , and eases and have some tolerance to barley leaves become dry , and rust spores create a California Red ( table 2 ) . All varieties yielded yellow dwarf disease occurring in California . dustiness on diseased plants that makes the extremely well under irrigation on the highly Swan , developed from Kent - Ballidu cross , hay unpalatable to livestock . California Red fertilesoilsat University of California , Davis . was released by the Western Australia De - and Cayuse show some tolerance to rust dis - With irrigation , all varieties almost doubled partment of Agriculture in 1967 . Seed of this eases occurring in Yo10 County . Swan is the yields of dry - farmed plantings . Low variety has undergone selection and evalua - moderately susceptible , and Montezuma and tion and is approved for certification in Cali - yields of late - maturing Cayuse and Califor - Sierra are susceptibleto these diseases . nia Red in 1981 were due to lack of moisture fornia . Swan is a tall oat , medium of stem , Fine stems and leafiness are often consi - caused by hot , drying spring winds . and with leafiness equal to that of Monte - dered quality factors in oat hay , although zuma . When harvested at the soft - dough Factors influencing quality their direct relation to hay quality is not stage of maturity , Swan is five to seven days known . California Red was superior in both The plantâ??s grain portion contributes signi - later than Montezuma . Swan was more resis - characteristics ; Montezuma was second to ficantly to dry matter yield and nutritional tant to lodging than other varieties in the California Red in stem fineness and was only valuewhen hay is cut at the dough stagebut is tests . Because of its early maturity and stiff - slightlyless leafy . Swan and Cayuseoat stems less important at the flower stage . Grain yield ness of straw , Swan is a good choice for sow - are slightly larger in diameter than those is also important in that high - yielding varie - of ing with vetch . California Red and Montezuma , and the ties can be harvested for grain when prices are Hay yields plants have a less leafyappearance . Sierracan favorable , and it is a factor in the availability and price of seed . have very coarse stems when grown in high - Cayuse oats had the highest average hay Montezuma yields the most grain of the yield - approximately 4 tons per acre - dur - yielding environments , but it has many large five varieties reported , partly because of its broad leaves . All varieties are considered ing the six years of testing under dry - farming resistance to grain shatter . Sierra , Swan , and conditions . Swan was second in averageyield palatable to livestock . Cayuseare slightlyless productive than Mon - at 3.6 tons per acre , followed by California Lodging , another characteristic that may tezuma . Cayuse grain yields may be de - 1 ) . Red , Montezuma , and Sierra ( table affect hay quality , occurs mainly under ir - Varieties differed in yield ranking from year pressed in low - rainfall years under dry - farm - a problem under dry - rigation and is seldom to year with changes in rainfall patterns and ing conditions . Lack of moisture may prevent farming . Varieties that lodge are difficult to filling of kernels with this late - maturing the occurrenceof barley yellow dwarf , a virus harvest , and lodged , matted oats are often variety . that can cause severe stunting with accom - severelyinfected with rust and mildew under California Red was clearly inferior in grain sus - panying low forage and grain yields in high - moisture conditions . Such severely in - ceptible plants . California Red is extremely yield when compared with other varieties . fected oat hay is unpalatable to livestock . Strong winds during the harvest period cause susceptible to barley yellow dwarf , which re - Swan oats are most resistant to lodging , severe grain shatter in this variety . Also , its sulted in low production during 1974 . Low followed by Cayuse and Sierra . Montezuma 20 CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE , JANUARY - FEBRUARY 1982 In oat hay variety trials In western Yolo County , Cayuse , a late variety , is nearly ready for har - vest ; most of the early varieties already have been harvested . is less resistant to lodging than Cayuse or Sierra , and California Red is the most suscep - soils under tible when grown on highly fertile irrigation . Early maturity Early maturity can be important in both dryland and irrigatedoat hay plantings . Late - fail to produce grain in an maturing oats that exceptionally dry spring may be lower in nu - tritional value and yield . In irrigated lands , early harvest may be beneficial for double - cropping . Montezuma , harvested at the soft - dough stage in mid - May in dryland trials and in late May on irrigatedland , was the earliest matur - of the varieties tested . Swan and Sierra ing were 4 to 6 days later , CaliforniaRed 12 to 14 days later , and Cayuse 19 to 21dayslater than Montezuma . Time of cutting Oats may be cut during the flower stage as heads emerge from the boot . Harvest can be 14 to 21 days earlier by this system , but yields will be decreased as compared with dough - stage hay ( table 3 ) . The oat varieties tested of 19 percent more dry yielded an average matter when cut at the dough stage . Feeding tests ( California Agriculture , May 1958 ) , however , have shown that flower - stage hay has a higher protein and total digestible nu - trient ( TDN ) content than oats harvested in the milk or soft - dough stage - perhaps an advantage in feedingsometypes of livestock . Flower - stage hay may yield fewer tons per acre , but it has more green leaves and more pliable stems than hay cut at the soft - dough of maturity . Cutting at the flower stage stage also allows earlier planting of a second crop on irrigated lands where double - cropping is practiced . CarlA . Schoner and ThomasE . Kearney are Farm Advisors , Cooperative Extension , Yolo vCounty , e and Melvin R . George isAgronomist , Cooperati Extension , University of California , Davis . This report is based in large part on work initiated by Dr . John D . Prato before his death in 1977 . Thegenerouscooperationof OscarDurst , Jr . , in providing sitesfor dry - farmed oat variety tests is gratefullyacknowledged . CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE , JANUARY - FEBRUARY1982 21