Advances in the breeding of oats Comparative trials with historical varieties in 1977—87

From 1977 to 1987, variety trials were conducted at two test sites in order to determine the agronomic value of old oat varieties as compared to that of the varieties presently grown. The trial sites were located at two breeding stations of the Hankkija Plant Breeding Institute, those of Nikkilä (61° 33' N latitude) and Anttila (60° 25' N latitude). The variety trials were performed according to the methods of Partially Balanced Lattices, and the results and their summary were computed according to the Nearest Neighbour Analysis. Eleven oat varieties released by the Institute between 1921 and 1982 as well as the old native oat variety from Ylitornio and the American oat variety Wasa, released in the 1920s, were all tested simultaneously. The materials are presented in Table 1, the test environment in Table 2. The main findings are shown in Tables 3 & 4 and in Figures 1—5. The correlations between the age of the varieties and their characteristics are presented, in order of quality, in Table 5. The field experiments showed that intense progress inbreeding work is reflected as increased crop yield, shortening of the straw, improved strength of the straw, and decreased husk content. In the trials the crop yield of the newest variety, Hankkijan Vouti variety, averaged 51 per cent more than the Ylitornio land race variety. The mean improvement in these properties achieved in 1921—-1982by means of breeding work was: an increase in crop yield of approximately 40 per cent; shortening of the straw by roughly 20 per cent; reduction of the tendency to lodging by about half; and lowering of the husk content by some 2 percentage points. In contrast, no constant advances could be shown for the earliness at heading or ripening, the 1 000 kernel weight, the hectolitre weight, the crude protein content or resistance to Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV). The 1 000 kernel weight and the hectolitre weight had risen from those of the local oat variety, whereafter development ceased to occur. The study also investigated the ratio between genotype and environmental effects. In the experimental series, environmental factors had an effect on determining the time needed for ripening, the crude protein content, the length of the straw, the hectrolitre weight and crop yield that was at least five times greater than the effect of genotype. Genotype proved to have a stronger influence on the 1 000 kernel weight, for which the variance component of genotype was three fold that of the environmental component. The heritability values in the experimental series ranged from 0.19 (for BYDV infection) to 0.77 (for time to heading).