South Australian oat breeders are embracing new technologies to breed better varieties that meet growing domestic and international demand for the grain.
Australia's reputation as a high-quality oat producer offers a significant opportunity for growers to tap into emerging value-added markets for oats.
The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has invested in the Oat Grain Quality Consortium (OGQC) - a national research effort to help growers make the most of emerging oat opportunities.
Crop and Pasture Improvement program leader, Dr Janine Croser, with the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI, the research division of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions), said oats continue to gain popularity with consumers for their unique nutritional benefits.
"Oats are high in protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and contain beta-glucan, a soluble dietary fibre known to support heart health," she said.
Oats also offer a versatile option for people with dietary sensitivities, providing a nutritious alternative to allergy-prone food sources and help meet the market demand for sustainably sourced food.
Dr Croser leads Program 3 of the OGQC which focuses on the development of lower-oil oat varieties. While oil is a natural part of oat grain, high oil content can lower the efficiency of milling and processing.
Lowering oil content could open the door to new product streams such as oat rice, noodles and alternative plant-based proteins.
Dr Croser said there is a huge potential in these markets, but current varieties are not well suited to these end-uses.
By developing oats with lower oil content, we expect to expand their use in a wider range of value-added products, thereby giving growers access to broader market opportunities.
To fast-track progress, SARDI researchers are working with novel oat lines made available through a global partnership between GRDC and Traitomic®, a crop trait development company based in Denmark.
The SARDI project team has taken delivery of novel oat seed with targeted mutations that have the potential to significantly accelerate the breeding of low oil oat varieties in Australia. These lines have been rapidly identified using proprietary Traitomic® technology.
While the research is at an early stage, Dr Croser and her team are already growing the first of these lines at SARDI and are optimistic about their potential.
SARDI oat researcher Dr John Harris said the Traitomic® platform gives them rapid access to novel targeted genetics.
"This enables us to set much shorter-term goals within the oat oil program so we can assess and refine our approach much earlier," he said.
Dr Croser said the team was excited to leverage this new technology to deliver value back to growers.
The more we understand about the genetics that underly oat quality, the better we can work with breeders to tailor new varieties to meet market demand. That means greater profitability and flexibility for Australian oat producers.
Program 3 of the OGQC is delivered by The University of Adelaide and SARDI.
