Organic Oats Variety Evaluation
Kirby Nilsen, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Brandon
To evaluate oat varieties for organic production.
The majority of the entries in this test are unregistered varieties. The yield and plant heights are provided for reference and to allow interested producers to track the entries in the future. The low yields and short plant heights are due to low precipitation and high competition resulting from regrowth of the alfalfa green manure crop. The variability between replications was high and results should be interpreted with caution.
Research suggests that selection of cereal crops specific to organic agriculture should be conducted on organically managed land. Conventional management systems may mask or confound certain plant characteristics, resulting in selection of sub-optimal cultivars for organic production systems. The trial was grown on certified organic land belonging to a local organic producer.