Organic Oats Production Part 2: Pre-Harvest & Combining Oats

Part two of a four-part series on growing certified organic oats in Nebraska.

This video covers pre-harvest decisions and combining the oats on July 22. In this video:

• How weed pressure increases as oats mature in an organic field, and why a dryland corner was lost to weeds after a dry spring • Deciding whether to hay, shred, or reincorporate weedy areas

• Harvest timing: targeting 14–16% moisture so the oats stay on the plant • Hand-testing moisture and test weight, and why hand tests can differ from combine and miller results

• Food-grade test weight targets: no dockage at 38 lbs, accepted down to 36 lbs • Setting the combine head high to keep weeds out of the bin, prioritizing quality over quantity

• Why an older John Deere 6600 combine produces better straw for small square bales than a newer rotary combine

• Shredding and field cultivating the stubble to return potash to the soil before seeding alfalfa

Rick and Philip Schuchardt discuss the challenges of a wet summer and what farmers transitioning to organic can expect when raising small grains.

Funding for this video was provided by the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). Produced by Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) Nebraska chapter members.