There is nothing like an oat

Summary

The items reports on first year trials in of the “Quoats” project. It’s well known that oats are generally a good fit in organic rotations and the “Quoats” project – Harnessing new technologies for sustainable oat production and utilisation – aims to make them even better. This five year (2009 – 2014) research project, led by IBERS, Aberystwyth University, brings together a wide range of organisations in the supply chain, from breeders to end-users, to improve the quality and performance of oats.
As part of the project, ORC is carrying out field trials to assess the suitability of new oat lines for organic management systems, with particular emphasis on nutrient use efficiency. Eight varieties are being trialled at Wakelyns Agroforestry, Suffolk, including some naked oats, i.e. hull-less oats. The paper reports some first results.