Husked oats
Wild oats are a very difficult to control, annual grass-like weed. It reproduces quickly. One wild oat plant can produce hundreds of seeds that remain viable in the soil for years. Thus, even a single wild oat plant can quickly infest an entire field area. Controlling wild oats requires long-term and systematic efforts.
In Finland, there is a law against wild oats (185/2002). The purpose of the law is to maintain high-quality crop production by promoting the control of wild oats. The law pertains to measures to combat wild oats and prevent its spread.
Wild oats can cause losses of up to millions of euros annually due to control costs and diminished crop quality. Therefore, it is important to identify the first individuals and remove them immediately by weeding.
Report new wild oat occurrences to rural services
New occurrences are reported to rural services, at which point the rural entrepreneur authority will confirm the occurrence on-site during a wild oat inspection.
Control of wild oats
Wild oats should be controlled by methods such as weeding, chemically, mechanically, or through cultivation techniques.
A farm infested with wild oats must consider restrictions on grain transfer and transportation.
Waste containing wild oats must be disposed of by burning.
Request inspection for cleanliness of the basic plot or plots in connection with the main support application
A farmer can request an inspection for cleanliness from wild oats for a plot, either through an informal application to their municipality’s rural entrepreneur authority or in connection with the main support application in the Vipu service.