Improving grain yield and quality traits of oats in northern growing conditions

Abstract

This study on 29 oat cultivars and breeding lines (Avena sativa L.), evaluates the correlations of grain yield and 13 morpho-physiological traits — characteristics such as maturity class and architecture of the oat stand, with grain quality properties such as grain protein concentration, protein quality, crude fat concentration, fiber concentration, and husk content. Field experiments were conducted in two contrasting growing seasons, 1988 and 1989.Under northern growing conditions high yielding ability was not associated with lower quality traits, but grain yield correlated positively with fat concentration, and negatively with both fiber concentration and husk content. In addition, there was no association between grain yield and protein concentration. Closer examination indicated that earliness, one of the most important traits of oats in northern growing conditions, correlated negatively with fat and grain protein concentration and positively with fiber concentration, thereby limiting both grain yield and quality performance. On the basis of this study, selection for productive oat ideotype does not necessarily lead to cultivars with weakened quality properties. Key words: Avena sativa, ideotype, productivity, grain quality, northern growing conditons