How to increase oat grain numbers
Grain number is a function of the number of fertile shoots per unit area and the number of grains per head. The main impact of nutrition is on this is on the numbers of grains per head.
Nitrogen increases grain numbers
Nitrogen will affect the number of grains that are set on individual ears. A high yielding crop of oats will have approximately 30-40 grains / ear, however if nitrogen supply is limiting this will be reduced.
The timing of the applied nitrogen is important as grain numbers are determined early from double ridge to floret initiation.
Early applications of nitrogen increases the number of grains / ear.
Micronutrients influence oat grain numbers
Manganese, zinc, copper and boron are the essential micro nutrients that affect the number of grains/ear and hence increase grain yield. Copper affects the quality of pollen and therefore the number of grain sites that set seed. Blind sites are associated with copper deficiency.
Other crop management practices influencing oat grain numbers
The number of eventual grains per ear varies from season to season and is affected by a number of factors including:
- Varietal choice
- Disease control during flowering
- Weather conditions during flowering
- Temperature and day length before terminal spikelet (Zadoks GS 30)
Related articles
How to increase oat yield
The main components of oat yield are grain numbers and individual grain weight. Both of these components are strongly influenced by nutrition.
How to maintain oat green leaf canopy
Key to achieving high oat yields is to maintain the green leaf area right through to the final grain filling period, capturing as much of the incident light as possible and converting it to yield.
How to increase oat leaf and shoot numbers
The number of leaves and shoots determines the size of the canopy and the final number of ears at harvest. Nitrogen, phosphate and sulphur are the most important for increasing leaf and shoot numbers.
How to increase oat grain size and specific weight
Grain specific weight is a measure of the density of the grain. Specific weight is predominantly a genetic trait of varieties, but poor crop nutrition and application can reduce specific weight.
Identify and diagnose oat nutrient deficiencies
Identify and diagnose if your oats are suffering from nutrient deficiencies and learn more about the symptoms and causes and how to control or correct the deficiency
Recommended Yara fertilisers for oats
Agronomy advice related to oats
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