Oats are a very traditional Irish crop that once covered almost 700,000ha of this country. The acreage has since fallen, but there is renewed interest in oats, partly because of a new appreciation of their health benefits. They are a good source of fibre, essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, minerals (especially iron and phosphorus) and vitamins. In addition, the content of B-glucans is particularly high in oats and oat B-glucan has been shown to have cholesterol-, insulin- and glucose-lowering effects, reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Oats are a very traditional Irish crop that once covered almost 700,000ha of this country. The acreage has since fallen, but there is renewed interest in oats, partly because of a new appreciation of their health benefits.
They are a good source of fibre, essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, minerals (especially iron and phosphorus) and vitamins. In addition, the content of B-glucans is particularly high in oats and oat B-glucan has been shown to have cholesterol-, insulin- and glucose-lowering effects, reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Moreover, oats do not contain the protein gluten and most people who suffer from coeliac disease can safely consume oats which are free from contamination by other cereals. Recently, substantial markets have developed for gluten-free oats.
For farmers, oats are a low-input crop compared with other cereals and provide a take-all break for wheat and barley.
Research at Teagasc is focused on optimising the agronomy of the oat crop. The Teagasc research programme on oats includes work on:
Crop nutrition. The problem of lodging and the role of growth regulators.Response to seeding rates.Identification of new genetic material.Mmycotoxin accumulation in grain.Lodging
Oats are more prone to lodging than other cereals and Teagasc, together with The University of Birmingham, is studying the mechanisms of lodging in the oat crop in order to develop advice on how lodging can be reduced.
The research which is being carried out on lodging investigates the effects of different agronomic treatments on stem and root characteristics
It is thought that one of the characteristics of the crop which increases its tendency to lodge is that the panicles (heads) of the crop become interlocked, causing the whole crop to move together and making it easier for the crop to fall during times when there is a risk of lodging.
The research which is being carried out on lodging investigates the effects of different agronomic treatments on stem and root characteristics, as well as studying how the crop responds to meteorological variables such as wind and rain.
Nitrogen timing
Nitrogen is a key element for growth, but oats require lower quantities of nitrogen compared with other cereals. Teagasc research is investigating the reasons for this reduced need for nitrogen.
Initial research has focused on the effect of nitrogen timing and split applications of nitrogen on crop response in both winter and spring oats.
Winter oats are quite flexible in their response to the timing at which nitrogen is applied. On Index 1 soils, nitrogen can be applied at any time up to GS32 without changing the response of yield to nitrogen.
Additionally, split application of nitrogen or different splitting applications had no effect on yield at the same nitrogen rate.
Spring oats are also quite flexible in their response to the timing at which nitrogen is applied. On Index 1 soils, nitrogen can be applied at any stage up to GS30 without changing the yield response to nitrogen.
As with the winter crop, split applications of nitrogen have no effect on yield at the same nitrogen rate.
For both winter and spring oats, nitrogen rate was more important than timing or the splitting strategy, as long as the nitrogen had been applied by GS32 (winter oats) and GS30 (spring oats).
Seeding rates
Oats in Ireland are often sown at high seeding rates (>180kg/ha) to compensate for low tillering capacity. Teagasc research has investigated whether high seeding rates are necessary.
Trials have been conducted on a number of different soils, with a number of different varieties sown at seeding rates between 40kg and 190kg/ha.
Teagasc research has investigated whether high seeding rates are necessary
Results have shown that oats compensate for low plant populations very effectively by increasing the number of grains in the oat panicle and by developing larger leaves to support these additional grains. At higher seeding rates, the number of grains in each panicle is restricted.
Yields tend to stabilise at seeding rates between 120kg and 150kg/ha (300 and 400 seeds/m2). Such seeding rates can be used with both autumn- and spring-sown oats without affecting yield or quality.
Come and see the seeding rate experiments and Department of Agriculture variety trials at the Oak Park open day on 28 June.
Read more
Focus supplement: Crops and cultivation
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: