Raven Black Oats Cover Crop Seed

Raven Black Oats is a new black-seeded spring oat variety bred for outstanding cover-crop performance. With exceptional emergence and fast tillering, Raven establishes quickly to suppress weeds, protect soil, and build organic matter between cash crops. Its medium height and very good standing ability make it easy to manage, while its excellent forage quality gives you flexibility to harvest or terminate at the right time for your rotation.

Spring oats are among the most versatile cover crops available — tolerant of cold, fast to establish, and capable of serving as a nurse crop for alfalfa or other legumes. Raven's black seed coat is a distinguishing trait of this variety, and its yellow straw at maturity makes residue management straightforward. Plant early in spring for maximum biomass, or use it in a multi-species mix to diversify your cover crop system.
Raven Black Oats is a cereal grain (grass family), not a legume, so it does not need inoculant. Inoculants only apply to legumes like clovers, vetches, and peas that fix nitrogen through rhizobial bacteria.

For other seasonal cover crops and soil-building options, explore our full collection of cover crop seeds.

Raven Black Oats – Avena sativa

Did You Know? Oats are one of the few cover crops that can double as a nurse crop, protecting newly seeded legumes like alfalfa while providing early-season weed suppression and erosion control.

• Seeding Rate: 25–100 lbs/acre
• Seeding Depth: ½" to ¾" deep — drill or increase rate to broadcast seed
• Germination: 7–10 Days
• Plant Height: Medium height, very good standing
• Maturity: Medium maturity
• Straw Color: Yellow
• Uses: Cover cropping, nurse crop for alfalfa, forage/hay, weed suppression, erosion control, soil organic matter
• Facts to Note: Exceptional emergence and fast tillering. Tolerant to cold. PVP-Pending - Albert Lea Seeds.