1. The first requirement in the production of any crop is to see that soil conditions are as close to the optimum as possible. Barley prefers well-drained soils, light to medium in texture with a high pH

Windrow Harvesting. Oats has been said to shatter more easily, high winds (when the crop is ripe) resulting in extensive loss of grain. In some parts of the United States and in parts of Canada a high proportion of the oat crop grown specifically for grain is windrowed to avoid these losses due to shattering.
Combine harvesting. The proportion of the oat crop harvested by combine has risen markedly over the past few years. The advantages of combining the crop li firstly in the speed at which the operation can be carried out, secondly grain losses can be kept to a minimum and thirdly it is possible to save lodged crops which would be extremely difficult by any other means.
The grain should be left to dry out as far as possible in the field to reduce artificial drying costs, but not at the expense of grain losses.