Genetic and environmental variation in β-glucan content of oats cultivated or tested in Finland

Abstract

The β-glucan contents of oat varieties and breeding lines were studied in 2-year trials established during 1988 and 1989, at eight locations in Finland. The mean β-glucan contents of oat trials varied from 3·1 to 4·5 % in total grain and from 4·0 to 6·3 % in groats in normal oat material. In naked oats the mean β-glucan contents of trials varied from 3·8 to 4·9 %. Significantly lower β-glucan content was found in 1989, which was characterized by lower mean temperature of growing time. Significantly higher mean yields and average seed sizes were found in the same year. β-Glucan content in total grain including groats and hulls of 12 oat varieties varied from 2·78 % in Pol variety to 4·68 % in Stil variety. The effects of year, trial, genotype and year x trial interaction were significant factors in explaining β-glucan content. β-Glucan content had a significant positive correlation with grain yield, growing time, hectolitre weight and thousand-grain weight in many trials, but had significant negative correlations with protein content and hull content. In the present oat material high β-glucan content was associated with high yield, long growing time, large seed size, low protein content and low hull content.