Agronomic Evaluation of Growing Oat Cultivar Mixtures under Various Stress Conditions in Finland

Abstract

Abstract Grain yield and grain quality of three oat cultivars in pure stands and in two- and three-component mixtures were studied in two environments over four years. Grain yields varied from 150 g/m2 to 632 g/m2 depending on abiotic and biotic stress factors. Combined data over all yield trials show no significant differences in grain yields between mixtures and their pure component means. Under cool or dry conditions and under disease-induced stress the grain yields of mixtures were in some cases slightly higher than the means of their pure components. Under optimal growing conditions, when the yields were high, mixtures did not outyield the means of their pure components. Most grain quality traits in mixtures appeared to be close to the means of their pure components. Use of oat cultivar mixtures for stabilizing crop production in northern agriculture is discussed.