Oat Variety Testing Results Report

Assessment of traits imortant in organic production. Extract from OatLINK report

• The work within this project has shown that both older and more modern varieties of oats perform reasonably well within organic system. 
• Data was collected from a range of agronomic assessments with some but inconsistent differences found in such factors as crop establishment, Leaf Area Index and Yield.
• Yields varied greatly between years and sites for both husked and naked oats. Generally it was found that the shorted strawed varieties yielded less than taller ones and it is suggested this could be due to weed competition. These were generally removed from subsequent years trials.
• Variety mixtures, either two or three-way, generally performed better than their compentent varieties would have predicted and this method of production for organic farmers could be of benefit.
• Populations of husked oats were grown over 3 seasons on two sites. They showed similar results to the mixtures.
• New lines of husked oats were trialled, but although crop failure meant that the data was limited, these new lines appear to perform as well as or better than current varieties.
• Undersowing of oats with a legume (in this case clover) was not successful with the clover failing to establish in 3 of the 4 trials. Where it did establish the benefits were limited.
• Position in the rotation from 1^st to 2^nd cereal showed that oats perform reasonably in a second cereal position with a loss of yield compared to a 1^st cereal position. This loss of yield is probably not significant at a farm level for husked oats but the yield depression is large for naked oats and may be of significance in this already lower yielding crop.  But this could be of use to organic farmers to extend the time within a rotation for cash cropping. However, one of the four 2^nd cereal trials failed due to weed pressure and this must be borne in mind in any recommendations made to farmers.
• The trials within the organic element of this project were sited on organic farms and undertaken within a fully functioning organic rotation.  The loss of a number of trials and the variability demonstrates some of the problems that are experienced when working within an environment where factors (such as weeds, fertility) can not be so easily controlled.