Organic Oats Production Part 4: Seeding Alfalfa & Volunteer Oats as Winter Cover

7 hours ago

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The fourth and final video in the organic oats production series.

After harvest, the oat field is seeded to alfalfa in August, and Rick Schuchardt returns on November 13 for a final look before winter. In this video:

• Drilling alfalfa at 23 lbs/acre (the drill's maximum rate) using GPS tractor guidance

• Rapid emergence of alfalfa alongside volunteer oats from the summer harvest

• Alfalfa growth of 3–5 inches on the hilltop and 10–12 inches lower in the field

• How knee-high volunteer oats act as a free winter cover crop, protecting the alfalfa and catching snow for spring moisture

• Options for grazing or feeding the volunteer oats if you have livestock Next year this field goes into its first year of alfalfa production.

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