Saia Oats

We recommend our Saia Oats, a tall, black-seeded, fine-stemmed grazing oat with good tolerance of acid soils. It grows on a wide range of well-drained soil types, and we suggest a soil pH of 5.5 (CaCl2) or above. It establishes fast, has a high leaf-to-stem ratio and rebounds well after grazing.

We recommend Saia Oats, a fast-establishing fodder oat suited to horses, sheep and beef cattle. Sow it in late summer or early autumn for winter bulk; it can produce up to 7 t DM/ha by spring where moisture is available and soil fertility is good. Winter feed is typically about 70% digestible with 7–8% crude protein, and pastures rebound well after grazing.

As a single species, sow Saia Oats at 60–100 kg/ha, depending on soil type, region and expected rainfall. In mixtures, use 15–50 kg/ha. Sow 35–70mm deep into a cultivated seedbed. Seed can be sown dry if placed deeper than 50mm, and sowing works best at soil temperatures between 12°C and 25°C.

We recommend Saia Oats for areas with 350mm+ annual rainfall, so it suits most medium rainfall parts of the wheatbelt and higher. Sow with about 10 kg P/ha, keeping MAP or DAP separate from the seed. Maintenance nitrogen of 35–70 kg N/ha, with adequate P, K, S and Zn, helps keep feed coming.

Graze Saia Oats before stem elongation, and leave about 12cm of residue, or down to the lowest stem node, so it can regrow. Give it about a month to recover before grazing again. Strip grazing along a long front reduces trampling losses, and a back fence helps maximise regrowth.

Be careful: Saia Oats is susceptible to pugging, and grazing when the soil is waterlogged will compromise regrowth, so it performs best on well-drained soils. On wetter flats, take stock off during very wet spells, or consider our Joey Triticale, which tolerates waterlogging as well as acid soils and drought, and suits 400mm+ rainfall.

We recommend Saia Oats as a pioneer or cover crop. It is robust, establishes fast and is widely used for weed control and soil preparation before renovating with perennial pasture. It is also a hardy choice on new land. Dropped seed can regenerate for a season or two, so manage it before sowing the perennials.

Saia Oats combines well with clovers, peas, vetch and medics, and with annual ryegrass. In a mix, we recommend reducing the oats to 15–50 kg/ha. Our Common Vetch or Coogee Field Peas lift protein, and our Mix & Match Custom Pasture Blends service can build a cereal and legume blend for hay or grazing.

Yes, young oat plants, including Saia Oats, can accumulate high nitrate levels that lead to nitrite poisoning, especially in cattle. Risk rises with slow growth, hot dry conditions, and frost or hail damage. Introduce hungry stock gradually, feed hay first, and avoid grazing stressed crops. Saia is otherwise readily eaten and highly palatable.

We recommend Saia Oats for lower rainfall or acid soils: it suits 350mm+ rainfall, tolerates acid soils and is a fine-stemmed, late-maturing oat for grazing, hay, silage and cover cropping. Ezigraze Forage Oats suits 500mm+ rainfall and multiple grazings, with fast establishment and no heading risk when sown early. Tell us your soil, rainfall and livestock.