Cultivation

Fodder use of oats

Avena sativa L.

Oats are the gold standard of feed crops, characterized by high protein digestibility, elevated fat content, and valuable straw, making them an indispensable feed for young and working animals.

In the reference 174 varieties crop Oat, where this is mentioned in the description.

Oat grain is taken as the reference feed unit against which the fodder properties of other crops are evaluated. Oat protein (10–15%) contains globulins with a digestibility of 95–96%, while the fat content, which is characterized by high digestibility, ranges from 4.5 to 11%. Oat straw and chaff exceed the nutritional value of corresponding parts of other cereal crops.

In forage production, the crop is used for green fodder, hay, silage, and haylage, including the creation of grass mixtures with legumes, where oats serve as a companion crop. Breeding for fodder purposes focuses on reducing beta-glucan content and selecting varieties based on 1000-kernel weight, test weight, and hull percentage, with naked oat varieties valued for their higher nutrient content and absence of hulls.

General information about the subject — on the page Forage purpose.

Sources8

Varieties of Oat mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.