Oats, which were historically power feed for draft horses and oxen used for farm labour, are now the subject of growing interest for their dietary benefits for human consumption. The health benefit of oats has led to increased global scientific activity on the species looking particularly to hone in on the nutritional aspects, unravelling oat genetics, and improving the adaptive fit of this widely grown cereal.

The species entered European agriculture as a weed when wheat and barley were domesticated, however it soon gained a reputation as being able to perform well as a crop in colder climates, in marginal areas, and with less inputs. Moreover, it also had broader end-use versatility as hay, forage, and grain for both stockfeed and human consumption. The high nutritional quality of oat grain is garnering more attention from dietary experts.

Oat grains have high lipid content, containing lysine-rich protein and soluble fibre, particularly beta-glucan. This fibre is proving beneficial in combating lifestyles diseases that are becoming more prevalent across the globe such as obesity, cardio-vascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.

This January-February 2023 issue of GroundCover™ Supplement provides a snapshot of GRDC investment underpinning oat improvement for Australian growers.

Increasing R&D

Together with investigating new markets and developing new products with the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre (AEGIC), GRDC is harnessing scientific and technological advances to place Australian oats on track to exploit these dietary imperatives.

In 2020 GRDC capitalised on many years of formative oat breeding work carried out by Dr Pamela Zwer and her team at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) and transitioned the program to InterGrain. For oats, joining the InterGrain stable meant it could benefit from scale and technologies already being successfully applied to wheat and barley improvement.

With Murdoch University, GRDC has gained access to international research decoding the oat genome. This fundamental genetic knowledge is required to inform many aspects of oat improvement including yield, quality, disease resistance, and adaptation.

Leveraging scientific skills developed in dissecting the phenology of wheat and barley, GRDC are investing in research being led by Dr Ben Trevaskis from CSIRO to unpick oats’ seasonal flowering behaviour. Passing on emerging genetic tools to oat breeders, the ‘oat phenology' team aims to improve oat adaptation to specific Australian environments.

Through GRDC investment, state-of-the-art approaches are being utilised to combat both Septoria and crown rust resistance.  Solutions to controlling both these fungal pathogens are being sought on two fronts through decoding the fungal genomes to better understand the infection mechanisms of the pathogen while in parallel mining oat germplasm for superior forms of genetic resistance.  SARDI are leading the charge in tackling Septoria, while CSIRO have attracted international expertise to battle crown rust.

Seeking to improve the performance of oats in farming systems, novel herbicide options are being evaluated for registration with GRDC support.

Marketing of oats is competitive with product quality, pricing, and customer service being crucial points of differentiation. Prominent companies are striving to develop superior quality products with bolstered health benefits. The combination of oats with several ingredients to enhance product taste and quality are enriching the value chain for oat markets.

Growers are also tapping into the health attributes of oats to obtain better returns for their crops, many capitalising on provenance to establish boutique oat businesses, selling direct to discerning customers.

More information: Dr Michael Groszmann, Michael.Groszmann@grdc.com.au