knocked the oats down

I stopped to inspect it after the 1st round and while there was some on the ground under the swath, it really didn't seem all that much worse than it is from a regular old fashined swather.

The best part is- It's our own machine, instead of having to borrow a neighbor's machine only to have to fix it when the drive chain breaks and blows out the drive clutch underneath (guess how I know...)

I'll let you guys know about how many bushels we get- it's only a 5-6 acre field. Good thing I cut it though instead of letting them try to get it green- the grass was kinda thick on one end and on the other end the velvet leaf was starting to really come up. The corn that was in it last year got a very poor spray job so alot of velvet leaf went to seed. This year's corn doesn't look all that bad. Got some that is for sure 9-10 ft. tall. The rest is for sure 8 ft. if not more. I need to check it with a tape measure...

Donovan from Wisconsin

Nothing that we know of that can be sprayed on oats without killing it. My dad worked for a spraying ring this spring/summer too and he learned quite a bit, but they never did anything to oats.

Winter wheat is direct cut all the time here, but that does get sprayed in the spring to control the weeds. Almost any small grain except winter wheat and soybeans is swathed here. Wheat sometimes is though, if the weeds got it too soon.

Another reason to swath, is we need the straw. When they come in to direct cut it, they'll only clip the heads, still get all the green seeds, plug up the combine, snap a belt, and we won't get 1/4 the amount of straw.

and double cropping is almost completely unheard of, unless you take off the 1st crp hay then turn it under and put in late corn or beans. No way to do it after wheat.

Donovan from Wisconsin

This may be a location thing again.... but we often spray oats. IF it's just a straight crop of oats then we hit it with a little over a 1/2 quart per acre of MCPA Amine 500. If it's seeded down to alfalfa, then a dose of 2-4DB. That will take care of most of the broadleaf weeds we have. Barnyard grass is the only bugger we have to deal with that we can't kill in oats. HoeGrass will kill it in wheat and barley.... but it also will kill the oats.

Rod

Try what you are doing in a humid location, and you will have a disaster.

Just like baling hay. I hear of folks going out & baling alfalfa after dark when the dew comes in. WHAT??? What a disaster that would be.... We got to close up baling about 2 hours before sunset, or the hay will mold from all that dew.....

It's just a different climate, got to do things differently.

--->Paul

Especially sunflowers. They'll plug the combine tight. Plus the fact that some weeds like lambsquarter will put the seeds in the bin with the crop. Since the seeds ars still green, the crop will then heat.

Nightshade will absolutely tear a combine up and ruin it.

Swathing is a very common practice.

Allan

They seem to think they can reasonably combine it standing every year but every time the try it they're constantly plugging up, putting wet oats on our bin, breaking down, and choking out the alfalfa we've got put in with the oats by only clipping the heads so the rest chokes it out. Once it's run down by the combine you just can't pick it up...

When we swath it, they run it in a very short time, no troubles that I've seen, and they get on to the next job. Only thing is they've got atleats a 20' grain platform, and we've got a 14' haybine that we used to knock it down so it may take them a few extra passes, even though in the end it's quicker for them.

Donovan from Wisconin

Rod

My opinion is that I would always rather run a combine picking up a windrow than direct cut. Just seems like it runs better.

I'm talking about sunflowers in the grain field. As in weed. :>)

Allan