Effects of seeding and harvest dates on the productivity, nutritive values, and livestock carrying capacity of spring-seeded oats (Avena sative L.) in the northern Gyeongbuk province

This experiment was conducted to estimate the livestock carrying capacity per unit area of Hanwoo heifer with determine the quality of the forage by evaluating the productivity and nutritive value of spring seeding oats (Avena sative L.) according to different seeding and harvesting timings. Dry matter yields were the highest at 13.62 tons per ha when oat was seeded on March 15 and harvested on June 8 (p < 0.05), while the lowest yield of 6.29 tons per ha was obtained when seeded on February 25 and harvested on May 19 (p < 0.05). The highest crude protein yield of 1.27 tons per ha (p < 0.05) was obtained when seeded on March 5 and harvested on June 8. The total digestible nutrient yield was the highest at 7.38 tons per ha when harvested on June 8, the last harvest of the experiment (p < 0.05). In the northern part of Gyeongbuk province, spring seeding oats at the beginning of March, rather than in the middle of March, showed good annual livestock carrying capacity per unit area. According to harvest timing, the plot harvested on June 8 showed the highest livestock carrying capacity with an average of 6.53 heads (p < 0.05). In conclusion, in the northern part of Gyeongbuk province in spring, it is better to seed oat early in March and to harvest early in June to increase the livestock breeding capacity, considering dry matter productivity and feed value.