AAC Excellence oat

Abstract

AAC Excellence is a covered, spring oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar developed by the Ottawa Research and Development Center (ORDC), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). It was derived from a four-way cross, OA1250-1/MN07205//Rigodon/HiFi, made in 2009. It has been tested in the Quebec provincial Oat Registration and Recommendation (QCORR) trials since 2017. Based on orthogonal data from the 2018–2021 QCORR trials, AAC Excellence yielded 6% higher than the mean of official checks (AAC Dieter, Canmore, and CS Camden) and its yield was more stable across years than the checks and other cultivars. AAC Excellence had similar levels of test weight and kernel weight to those of the checks, a β-glucan level similar to Akina and better than AAC Nicolas and all checks, and a groat content level similar to AAC Nicolas and AC Dieter and better than Akina and other checks. It had a superior package of yield and quality and is most adapted to Quebec, the Maritimes, and northern Ontario.