Wild oats (Avena fatua)

Wild oats description

Wild oats are one of the most serious grass weeds in western Canadian crops. They result in yield loss, as well as dockages losses and increased cleaning costs.

Propagation

The wild oat is an annual grass weed. It propagates via seeds. Seeds of wild oats can be viable as soon as 4 days after flowering begins and they can lie dormant, in the soil, for many years.

Similar species

Tame oat

Distribution

Found especially in fields under continuous cropping to small grains in Canadian Prairie Provinces as well as Eastern Canada.

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Identifying Wild oats

Seedling

Leaves are soft with very few widely spaced hairs. The ring (ligule) on the inside of the leaf blade is large, membranous, whitish, and pointed. The youngest emerging leaves often twist counterclockwise. Only one cotyledon emerges.

Mature plant

Stems: Stems are smooth, stout, about 2 to 3 feet tall and in bunches of 3 to 5 hollow stems. They are erect, branched from the base and hairless.

Roots: Roots are extensive and fibrous. Leaves are long and thin, about 2.5 to 8 inches long and about ¼ to ¾ inch wide.

Leaves: Flat, up to 8 inches long, up to 5/8 inch wide, prominent ligule at base of blade, base of leaf blade usually slightly hairy, no auricles. Sheath nearly round, sometimes hairy, with split margins.