During a webinar for the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO) Small Grains Program on February 23rd, 2023, Dr. Josh Nasielski from the University of Guelph provided a research update on oats. Josh has a mandate to have a research focus on agronomic problems in Northern Ontario. The intention of the seminar was to establish a connection between academia and research with boots-on-the-ground farmers. The goal was to foster, empower, encourage, and highlight this reciprocal relationship.
Josh highlighted his research from 2022 exploring agronomic practices to increase yield and reduce lodging in oats. . During his talk, Josh was joined by a Temiskaming area farmer, Jason Seed, to discuss some on-farm applied research on milling oats. This was Jason’s second year of production, growing about 100 acres of milling oats in 2022.
To quantify the severity of lodging, lodging index of 1-9 can be used, based on a visual score of plant standability. A higher number indicates more severe lodging where with a score of 1 the plant is standing upright, and with a 9 it is completely lodged. Josh is trying to uncover what impacts the severity of lodging through studying agronomic practices in field.
Usually lodging occurs at maturity, which can increase harvest loss and quality problems. Through his research, he has seen that the lodging issue is occurring at the root. This occurs when a root system changes and shifts underneath the soil. The oat plant is then tilted and lodges, which leads to it falling over in the field. To increase stem strength, the root needs to be considered.
To tackle the issue, Josh is studying seeding depth and spacing, planting dates and nitrogen rates, as well as plant growth regulator products. His research has allowed him to provide the following agronomic recommendations:
Seeding Depth
Pay attention to seeding. OMAFRA recommends a 1-inch depth. Josh’s work agrees with this, but pointed out that if planted at a shallower depth, there is a greater risk of root failure and lodging. Jason commented that he has a smaller planter and has noticed that it is important to keep an eye on the actual depth it is planting at as it moves across uneven fields.
Spacing
Moving from 7.5-inch rows to 5-inch rows provided a consistently positive result. A narrower row reduced the risk of lodging. This was tested on 3 varieties of milling oats. By decreasing the row spacing, we are able to allow the crop some protection from lodging, as spring-seeded cereals do not have time to close rows or create a canopy. Josh recommends narrowing up the seeding drill to adjust the row spacing but keeping the seeding rate the same.
Planting Date
Plant early. This usually means mid-April in southern Ontario for spring oats. Oats can germinate at much lower soil temperatures compared to corn or soybeans. In Northern Ontario, planting can occur at the end of May and still produce high yields. May 8 is typical for Temiskaming, says Jason. The year prior, Jason’s oats were planted by April 20, but the May planting in 2022 yielded better. However, using a soil probe to take the temperature of the soil would be more reliable than using calendar dates. Jason used seed treatment for the oats to help with cold tolerance and frost resistance.
Nitrogen Rates
OMAFRA recommends 40-65N for nitrogen application. It is important to consider any nitrogen credits from previous crops as you may not need to apply as much nitrogen as you think. Oats are not as receptive to nitrogen as corn or wheat. Higher nitrogen applications can give lusher canopy and increase disease risk along with increasing lodging. Consider split-applying nitrogen at preplant and at GS30-32. Note that lodging increases significantly at a rate over 70 lbs. Jason commented that he has a high organic matter of 6-10, which also decreases early nitrogen needs. His goal is to increase yields, with a more aggressive nitrogen plan in conjunction with fungicides and growth regulators. The OMAFRA nitrogen rate of 55 lbs. works for Jason, which is also economical.
Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs)
Josh tested Moddus and Manipulator, two PGR products that have similar costs and performance. PGRs shorten and thicken the stem. Shorter stems reduce lodging by reducing the torque on the root system during a storm. There is a synergy between high nitrogen applications and lower lodging with PGRs. A producer can use PGR to reduce lodging when pushing higher nitrogen rates, though the effectiveness will depend on weather and variety.
On Jason’s farm in Temiskaming, lodging happened at maturity in the sections untreated with a PGR. Manipulator was applied on June 25 and July 2. All replicated strips were higher yielding when the PGR was used. The height was reduced by 10 percent, but straw yield was not reduced, as shorter but denser straw was produced. Jason thought the PGR trial didn’t change the straw much, and that the yields weren’t drastically different. But when looking at the data, he could see the straw and yield was marginally but consistently better in the PGR strips, different enough to be using it in conjunction with higher nitrogen rates. With PGRs, timing and weather are major factors in how effective they are. Warm, sunny weather is required for product activation.
In comparison, pictures from a farm in Emo clearly showed the difference between sections treated with PGRs versus sections untreated. The field was planted early, fertilized on June 10, and Moddus applied July 14 with Acapella, Acapela also applied in check. This trial was clearly able to show the efficacy of Moddus to reduce lodging.
As Josh’s focus on applied agricultural research continues, involving research stations and participating farm cooperators in Northern Ontario, we look forward to more communications on his work to transmit lessons learned to growers in the 2023 season.
This session was the 4th of the series on Small Grains winter series, Small Grains Big Gains. Sign up for more Small Grains Series events here: https://efao.ca/events/