Avena sativa History

The earliest evidence of the oats crop is used by the Bronze Age lake dwellings in Switzerland. Already Germans estimated the oats. The Romans referred to contemptuously as the Germans oat eaters. The importance of the oats is also to show that it occurs in German surnames, for example, Haferkamp (= oat field).

In the ancient grain oats appears never finds its own, but always as an admixture. This suggests that oats first as Beigras on barley and wheat fields grew. He is therefore counted as secondary crops. At about 5000 BC, the oldest evidence of use of oats in Poland and the northern Black Sea region can be found. The first use of evidence in central Europe can be dated to 2400 BC. Until the Middle Ages of oat cultivation was restricted to the area north of the Main. It was only later, then continue south instead of extension. From the High Middle Ages is oats in central mountain areas an important crop, which lost only through the introduction of the potato their position. Oats in 1939 ranked in the global importance after wheat and maize the third most cereals. In Germany, oats in the first half of the 20th Century after the main cereal rye. Today is the oat cultivation in Germany to the other grains of secondary importance.

Until modern times was in climatically unfavorable areas of Germany, the cultivation of oats often found, as the oats delivers even in adverse weather conditions (water logging, drought, poor soil quality) and poor nutrient supply more stable income than, for instance spring barley. After the Second World War, the cultivation has declined, partly because of the engine, the draft horses (oats as consumers) made more and more redundant and thus lowered the demand. In recent decades the production again, as the riding has gained in popularity.


Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saat-Hafer
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