Wild oat seed identification

[MattR]

We had the odd patch of wild oats in our spring oats last year - wanting to use the seed but a bit wary of spreading the wild oats. Looking through some samples from the heap I've got put aside I don't think there's many - see photos attached - am I right? I generally think of wild oat seeds as longer, thinner, darker (hairier?) is that always the case or can they be more similar to proper oats?

 

[Brisel]

Wild oat and Winter wild oat

cropscience.bayer.co.uk

 

[Jinx]

They won't always be longer, but they are slender. Basically there are 3 types, although the 3rd isn't a true wild oat:

Spring wild oat (avena fatua) - hairy, heavily awned, grey/brown.
Winter wild oat (avena ludoviciana) - very hairy, heavily awned, dark colour than spring wild oat.
Fatuoid oat (cross between a wild oat & cultivated oat) - sometimes hairy, heavily awned, same colour as cultivated oat, plump grain.

I would go with the awns in the first instance. Anything with a string awn from a pile of oats with no own can be considered a wild oat in your situation. If in doubt, take a good representative sample of 1 - 2 kg drawn from all over the pile and get it checked by a seed lab.

 

[Jinx]

"Anything with a string awn from a pile of oats with no own"

Ahem,
...Anything with a strong awn from a pile of oats with no awns

 

[deleted user 837354]

Get a good sample and send to see lab. Several biotypes...