The Korean Journal of Crop Science ISSN:0252-9777(Print) 2287-8432(Online) 한국작물학회지

Oats (Avena sativa L.) represent a good forage crop for cultivation in regions with short growing periods and/or cool weather, such as the mountainous areas of southern Korea. In this study, using the Korean elite summer oat varieties ‘High speed’ and ‘Dark horse’, we aimed to determine the optimal time to plant and harvest forage oats seeded in spring and summer in a mountainous area. Seeds were planted three times from late February and early August at 9- or 10-days intervals, respectively, and plants were harvested three times from late May to October at 10-day intervals. The experiment was carried out in an upland field (Jangsu-gun Jeonbuk) in 2015 and 2016. We investigated the changes in forage yield (FY) and quality [crude protein (CP) and total digestible nutrient (TDN) contents] based on the time of planting and harvest. Neither the forage quality nor yield of either spring and summer oats was significantly influenced by the time of planting. The CP of spring oats harvested three times at 10-day intervals from late May was 12.0%, 8.2%, and 6.5%, thereby indicating a reduction with a delay in the time of harvest. In summer oats, CP ranged from 8.4% to 8.7%, although unlike CP in spring oats, was not significantly influenced by the time of harvest. For both forage types, harvest time had no significant effect on TDN. The FY of spring oats harvested in late May and early and mid-June was 10.2, 18.7, and 19.5 ton ha^-1, respectively, with that of oats harvested on the latter two dates being significantly increased by 83% and 91%, respectively, compared with that in late May. Similarly, the FY of spring oats harvested in late October and early and mid-November was 7.1, 12.5, and 12.1 ton ha^-1, respectively, with that of oats harvested on the latter two dates being significantly increased by 75% and 71%, respectively, compared with that in late October. Taking into consideration forage yield and quality (not less than 8% CP), it would be profitable to plant spring oats in the mountainous areas of southern Korea until March 15 and harvest around June 10, whereas summer oats could be beneficially planted until August 25 and harvested from early November.