Caveats!
You are here because you're curious. Me too. I've tried to capture what I've learned about oats below. I am biased. I am an "oat enthusiast" for sure. This is not intended to be all-encompassing or a single source. I've listed references, please let me know if you find conflicting information and I will update as needed--Thanks!
You are here because you're curious. Me too. I've tried to capture what I've learned about oats below. I am biased. I am an "oat enthusiast" for sure. This is not intended to be all-encompassing or a single source. I've listed references, please let me know if you find conflicting information and I will update as needed--Thanks!
Oats: A "Low Input" Crop
Talk to farmers. They'll tell you, oats are a "low input" crop. They grow readily. No insects target them (except times of drought). And you won't get much per acre (oats or $--see oat financials). Because of this, they're often just "ground cover," meaning farmers plow them under to save on fertilizer costs for the next crop or they'll harvest it for animal feed.
Organic Oats: An Oxymoron
Because oats are a low input crop, you don't need to worry about "organic" oats.* The financial dynamics of oats don't allow for much investment in "protecting" the crop...there's no "bang for the buck." Produce and other "high" value crops are much more vulnerable because they justify the "investment" in protection. This is where you should make your organic investment.
USDA 2014 Pesticide Study
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Of 314 random samples tested in 2014, only 1 pesticide was detected in one sample at a level of 0.007 ppm (tolerance of 8 ppm)
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Source: USDA PDP 2014 Annual Summary
*The one caveat might be for oats grown in Ireland (i.e. McCann's). Given the climate there (damp), I understand that fungicides are often used and kiln temperatures tend to be higher to help reduce the moisture level for stability--this was from an industry expert, I have not researched it myself.