Wild Oats Cost More to Keep Than to Control

Probably the most important impact of a wild oats infestation in field crops is crop yield reduction. Yield is influenced by wild oats density, crop competitive ability, crop yield potential, and soil fertility. Wild oats seeds in the harvested grain counts as "dockage" if they clean out, or may reduce the grain grade if they do not. In both cases wild oats in grain adds to storage and transportation costs. Wild oats also increases tillage costs by necessitating extra cultivation in an infested field. The article discusses the per cent yield reduction caused by the various wild oats densities in each of the three crops: flax, wheat and barley