Producing high yields of high quality oats (Avena sativa L.) involves interactions among numerous biological factors, management strategies, and climatic conditions. Biological factors including disease resistance, straw strength, leaf area, photosynthetic capacity, source-sink relationships, and mineral uptake are controlled by the unique combination of genes assembled in the genotype (cultivar) being grown (Forsberg, 1986). Good management practices include use of high quality seed planted at recommended seeding rates, judicious use of fertilizer, and pest control by herbicides or insecticides when necessary. It quickly becomes apparent that optimizing oat production is a complex task involving factors the producer can control such as choices of cultivar and management practices, and those over which there is limited control, such as soil type and climate.