Our seed oat varieties for the 2025 growing season include the following:

  • Reins ~ Early; High yield; Moderate height; Tan

Released in 2015, Reins is an early maturing oat developed by the University of Illinois AES.  Reins is resistant to loose smut, tolerant to barley yellow dwarf virus, moderately resistant to moderately susceptible to crown rust.  As long as it has been tested in the University of Illinois Oat Drill Plots, Reins has ranked at or near the top for yield, test weight and lodging [resistance], and was the among the shortest and earliest heading varieties.  Reins is a U.S. Protected Variety (PVPA 94).

Mink ~ Early; High Yield & Test Weight

Mink is a high yielding oat line with above average performance for yield in the Midwest.  It has a medium to high test weight, being in the top 25% with a three-year average above 38 lbs/bu in most locations evaluated in the WI State Trials. Mink has an intermediate flowering time with an
average plant height. It is in the top of lines with lodging less than average. It is resistant to crown rust and showed medium to low crown rust infection levels in most trials. Mink is most similar to the previously existing cultivar Esker with similar heading date and plant characteristics such as de-hulling efficiency. However, Mink is superior to Esker in grain yield, test weight, lodging, and disease resistance. Mink is a U.S. Protected Variety (PVPA 94)

  • Esker2020 ~ Moderately Early; High yield; Moderately tall; White

Released in 2019 by the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Esker2020 is an early mid-season, high yielding oat variety. Esker2020’s yield performance has been in the top 10% in the Midwest.  It is a moderately tall variety with good lodging resistance. Esker2020 is characteristically similar to Esker and has good crown rust resistance.  Esker2020 is a U.S. Plant Protected Variety (PVPA 94).

  •         Saddle ~ Early; White Hull; High Yield; Strong Straw

Released by SDSU in 2017, Saddle is an early maturing, high yielding, short, white-hulled oat with good lodging resistance.  It is stated to have resistance to smut and crown rust and tolerance to Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus.  Saddle oats are protected under the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA 94) – Title V.  Seed of this variety can only be sold by variety name as a class of certified seed – No saleable Registered Class.

  •       Rushmore ~ Med-Late maturity; Tall; High yield

Rushmore oat is a white-hulled, spring oat developed by the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (SDAES) and released in 2019. The line was tested as SD140515 with the pedigree of SD80015/SD0070110/SD060130. Rushmore is a medium-late maturing line, heading about 1 day earlier than Hayden. Rushmore is similar in height to Hayden with better lodging resistance. Rushmore has high yield potential and good test weight.  Rushmore is resistant to moderately resistant to crown rust. The variety is moderately resistant to BYDV and smut.  Rushmore is a U.S. Protected Variety (PVPA 94)

  •       MN-Pearl ~ Late Maturity; Tall; High yield; White

Released in 2019 by the University of MN, in collaboration with the University of Saskatchewan, MN-Pearl is a high-yielding variety with good straw strength and high groat percentage. It also has good overall disease resistance, including moderate crown rust resistance and excellent smut resistance.  Although similar to Deon in maturity, it has out-performed Deon in yield since its release. Overall, MN-Pearl’s characteristics allow it to perform well across the upper Midwest. The new variety’s name reflects its pearly-white hull, a trait that is often sought after by millers.

  •        M-120 Forage Oat ~ Very Late maturity; Very Tall; White hull and forage production

It is a late maturing forage oat that has good leaf rust resistance. M-120 oats is a high tonnage forage oat that has out yielded Jerry and Loyal on tons per acre. It is a tall variety with a wide leaf for those extra tons per acre.  This variety is best suited for forage production.