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Integrated Crop Management
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Oats as a cover crop

Oats - Avena sativa

Type: cool-season spring annual grass

Pros: good fit for preventing plant acres and for use ahead of corn production; moderate potential to scavenge nutrients, suppress weeds, improve soil health, and prevent erosion

Overwintering potential: no

Planting date: late August through October

Ideal Seeding depth: 0.5” to 1.0” – rainfall/soil moisture needed to get good establishment

Seeding rate: drilled = 60 – 75 pounds per acre; overseeded = 80 – 100 pounds per acre

Oat seedling. Photo courtesy of M. Licht, Iowa State University. 

* based on typical use timing in a corn and soybean cropping system.

References and Resources

SARE. 2007. Managing Cover Crops Profitably, 3rd edition. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, College Park, MD.

MCCC. 2020. Cover Crop Selector Tool. Midwest Cover Crops Council, West Lafayette, IN.

Authored by:
Mark Licht
Mark Licht
  • Associate Professor
  • Extension Cropping Systems Specialist
Dr. Mark Licht is an associate professor and extension cropping systems specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. His extension, research and teaching program is focused on how to holistically manage Iowa cropping systems to achieve productivity, profitability and environmental goals. Research is centered around varied aspects of soybean, corn and cover crop management as well as agronomic implications of precision technologies.
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