Summary

The focus of the National Oat Breeding Program is to improve productivity and quality in new oat varieties developed for hay, feed, and food. Breeding priorities identified to achieve these goals include improved hay and grain yield, disease resistance, enhanced hay and grain quality, and superior agronomic characters. The National Oat Breeding Program works closely with the whole value chain including growers, industry, marketers, and consumers to ensure the breeding priorities meet their needs.
The National Oat Breeding Program is centralised at SARDI with a node at DAFWA. Due to different production constraints in eastern and western Australia breeding lines are selected in the respective regions. Agronomic traits and disease reactions are evaluated at seven sites in South Australia (SA) and five sites in Western Australia (WA). Dry matter production and hay quality are evaluated for the most advanced breeding lines at three sites in SA, three sites in WA, and one site in Victoria.
The decision to release a new variety is based on two criteria, the advanced breeding has improved features and will replace a current variety or it offers new options to a link in the value chain. AEXCO commercialises new varieties from the program.

Program

Export Fodder

Research Organisation

Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development acting through the South Australian Research and Development Institute

Objective Summary

The research and development objectives are to improve agronomic traits, disease resistance, and quality in hay varieties grown in southern Australia. With the changing climate, dry growing conditions, and the movement of oat hay production into traditional low rainfall regions, tolerance of hay oat varieties to dry conditions will be introduced when funding is sufficient to do so. Hay produced from the improved varieties will be used in the export and domestic markets. Close interaction with the export and domestic hay industries will ensure the breeding priorities will result in varieties that meet their market requirements.
Expected outcomes from this research will be improved oat varieties that are more productive in traditional and non-traditional oat growing regions that meet the needs of the export and domestic hay markets.
Advanced breeding lines selected for variety release will be protected by PBR and AEXCO will have first option for commercialising the new varieties.