Plant Production and Protection Series No. 33

Plant Production and Protection Series No. 33

FODDER OATS:
a world overview

Edited by
J.M. Suttie and S.G. Reynolds


FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Rome, 2004

 

Table of Contents


The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The mention or omission of specific companies, their products or brand names does not imply any endorsement or judgement by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

ISBN 92-5-105243-3

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© FAO 2004


CONTENTS

Foreword

Acknowledgements

List of contributors

Acronyms

Chapter I - BACKGROUND TO FODDER OATS WORLDWIDE

Introduction
The oat crop
Oats as fodder
Oat grain
The book

Chapter II - FODDER OATS: AN OVERVIEW

Oats in a global context: Growing and production trends
Adaptation of avena species
Fodder oat improvement
Genotype by environment interactions
Potential for oats in the Himalaya-Hindu Kush region
Conclusions and prospects

Chapter III - FODDER OATS IN NORTH AMERICA

Introduction
Fodder oats - past and present use in North America

Oats as a pure stand - Canada
Oats as a pure stand - United States of America
Oat mixtures in North America
Winter oats
Oats as a companion crop for perennials
Swath grazing

Animal health
Diseases and pests
Breeding programmes
Areas where research or extension work is needed
Future role of fodder oats in North American agriculture

Chapter IV - FODDER OATS: AN OVERVIEW FOR SOUTH AMERICA

Background
Breeding
Macro-environments

Temperate Argentina and Uruguay
Temperate Chile
Subtropical area (south Brazil)
Tropical Brazil
Tropical high-altitude area (Andean)

Research

Brazil
Argentina
Chile
Regional cooperation

Chapter V - FODDER OATS IN THE MAGHREB

Introduction
Oats in Morocco

Main cultivars
Breeding
Diseases
Oat production and animal feeding systems
Problems in oat production in Morocco
Research needs

Fodder oats in Tunisia

Seed production
Prospects

Fodder oats in Algeria

Oat varieties
Ongoing research

Fodder oats in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Conclusions

Chapter VI - FODDER OATS IN PAKISTAN

Background
Farming systems and cropping patterns

Cropping patterns
Oat introduction
Seed multiplication and extension

Oats as fodder

Oats in the Northern Areas
Oat research and development
Oats as a multicut crop
Oats as an intercrop or companion crop
Dual-purpose oats
Effect of cutting or grazing on forage and grain yield
Forage and hay yield
National uniform oat forage yield trials
Date of sowing
Seed production

Conclusions

Chapter VII - Fodder oats in the Himalayas

7.1 Experiences with oats (Avena sativa) at temperate and high elevations in Bhutan

Introduction
Research on oats
Extension
Constraints to growing oats
Conclusions

7.2 Fodder oats in the Indian Himalaya

Background
Introduction and acceptability of oats
Oat cultivation in Kashmir - a success story
Research on oats in the Himalaya

7.3 Fodder oats in Nepal

Introduction
Role of livestock and production systems
Importance of oats
Cultivar evaluation
How farmers grow fodder oats
Oat growing in different areas
Farming system research
Impact
Further work needed
Oats in summer
Problems

Chapter VIII - FODDER OATS IN CHINA

Background

Production
Nutritive value
Economic importance

Distribution

Northern spring oat area
Southern winter oat area
Place of fodder oats in rotations and farming systems

Use of oats

Oats for hay and grazing
Oats for silage
Use of straw

Feeding of oats

Oats for cattle
Oats for poultry
Oats for yak and sheep

Naked oats
Diseases of oats and their control

Main diseases of fodder oats in China

Other problems

Lodging
Drought
Frost

Oat breeding and germplasm enhancement

History of key oat cultivars
Current breeding and research
Introduction and reselection
Hybridization and wide crosses
Tissue culture
Hybrid oat development

Themes and subjects requiring research or extension
Perspectives
Conclusion

Chapter IX - FODDER OATS IN JAPAN

Introduction

Oats for grain
Cultivation for green fodder and silage
Breeding fodder oats

Prospects

Chapter X + FODDER OATS IN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA - HISTORY, PRODUCTION AND POTENTIAL

Introduction
Background to the agricultural scene

New Zealand
Australia

Production and crop management in New Zealand

Rise and fall of oat production
Oats from the 1950s
Intensification of land use
Grazing management
Crop mixes
Multiple grazing capability
Crop management packages

Biomass production
Grazing
Feed quality
Production and crop management in Australia

The forage market
End users
Multigrazing
State profiles
Cultivar development
Cultivar releases since introduction of plant variety protection

Cultivars and crop management

New Zealand
Australia

Research in New Zealand and Australia

New Zealand
Australia

Conclusions

Chapter XI - FODDER OATS IN EUROPE

Introduction

Characteristics

Distribution

Potential of oats as forage
Nutritive value

Digestibility

Intake
Yield
Use of whole-crop oats

Conclusion and prospects

Chapter XII - OAT DISEASES AND THEIR CONTROL

Introduction
MAIN OAT DISEASES

Crown rust
Stem rust
Main control measures for rusts
Pyrenophora leaf blotch
Scab
Smut
Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV)
Halo Blight
Septoria blotch
Other, less important diseases

Perspectives

Chapter XIII - PERSPECTIVES FOR FODDER OATS

Some conclusions

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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