Performance of oat (Avena sativa L.) sown in late summer for autumn forage production in Central Europe

摘要

Spring-sown oat (Avena sativa L.) is well adapted for forage production in Central Europe; however, environmental conditions make this crop susceptible to crown rust disease (Puccinia coronata) when grown in summer. The objective of this study was to assess oat cultivars sown in late summer, when conditions for crown rust are less favourable, and harvest in autumn for forage with potential use for feeding lactating dairy cows. Three oat cultivars: Berdysz, Zuch and ForagePlus, the first two from Poland and the latter from United States, were sown 1 and 15 August, and 1 September, over three consecutive years, and harvested for forage in late October. The two Polish cultivars had 61% leaf area affected by rust with 1 August sowing, but ForagePlus was not affected by rust with any sowing date. Sowing 15 August significantly reduced crown rust incidence and increased DM yield of the Polish cultivars 21% relative to the 1 August sowing date, but decreased ForagePlus DM yield by 35%. Sowing 1 September resulted in best forage nutritive value, but the lowest DM yields for all cultivars. Calculated milk production per ton of forage for all cultivars was lowest with the 1 August sowing date. Calculated milk production per hectare was greatest for Berdysz sown in mid-August. Oat can be sown 15 August and harvested in autumn for forage production, avoiding crown rust disease during summer in Poland. Nutritive value of autumn oat forage is adequate to meet forage requirements of lactating dairy cows.