Relationships between Groat Percentage and Productivity in an Oat Head‐Row Series

Abstract

Selection for high groat percentage, an important quality factor in oat (Avena sativa L.), is practiced in nearly all oat improvement programs. In the Wisconsin oat breeding program, it has been noted that vigorous, productive‐looking breeding lines often have kernels with below‐average groat percentage. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships of groat percentage with plant growth, measured as vegetative weight, and grain production of primary culms for early generation oat lines (F3 to F6) in a head‐row selection scheme. In a parent/progeny study, groat percentage of panicles evaluated in 1982 was negatively correlated with grain weight, panicle weight, vegetative weight, and biomass measured on their progeny lines grown in 1983 and on families in 1984. Similar negative correlations were found between groat percentage measured in 1983 and productivity traits measured on progeny in 1984. In a pure line study with 15 genotypes, correlations were similar to those obtained in the parent/progeny study. This negative relationship suggests that selection for high groat percentage in early generations may result in decreased vegetative and seed productivity.