Cut-off time for oat-sowing

27 May 1998

Cut-off time for oat-sowing

Question

I HAVE been told that if you dont sow spring oats before the end of March, you will get a very poor yield. The grain will not fill, apparently. Is this true?

Response

Derek Wade, ADAS Rosemaund, Herefordshire

Answer

THE end of March sounds too extreme as a cut-off point. There is no technical reason to be on a particular alert if spring oats are not drilled by the end of March.

However, with any spring crop, the sooner it is in the ground and able to take advantage of available moisture, the better it is for establishment and subsequent growth.