There has been a trend for increasing summer rain, later autumn sowing breaks and mini droughts throughout the WA wheatbelt with growers adapting to this. Utilisation of soil moisture stored below conventional sowing depths (around 30mm) give growers the opportunity to increase yield while mitigating risk for this and for areas prone to frost. Due to their ability to elongate their mesocotyl and coleoptile during emergence, sowing Oats deeper might mean Eastern Wheatbelt farmers can take advantage of any subsoil moisture while waiting for the next rain.
This three-year project will assess current varieties to help growers better understand the fit of deep sown oats in their production systems, the depths at which oats can be sown and the agronomic impacts of seeding at depths below those currently recommended. and any potential changes to machinery that may be required to facilitate the deeper sowing of oats.
In 2024, the project tested sowing depths of 30 mm, 80 mm, and 110 mm using ten different oat varieties and several herbicide combinations. Early findings show that deeper sowing increased early emergence and plant biomass, especially at 80- and 110-mm depths. Consideration of machinery capabilities, soil type, and seed variety is also essential to successful deep sowing.
Thankyou to Curtis Liebeck (2024), Brad Atkinson (2025) and Tom Kerse (2026) for hosting these trials.
[Blog] Westonia Research Update (March 2026)
[2025 Case Studies] GRDC NGN Evaluating Deep Sowing of Oats in WA Production Systems
Deep Sown Oats Media Release – May 2024
Investigating the Benefits of Deep-Sown Oats – Project Update July 2024
