Oat Variety Screening in the Klamath Basin, 1995 R.L. Dovel and G. Chilcote' I ntroduction Oats have been a major crop in the Klamath Basin in the past. Although local oat acreage has declined to about 5,000 acres in Klamath County, it remains an important commodity in the area. Klamath Experiment Station has cooperated in the Uniform Northwestern States Oat Nursery since the 1970s. Over the years, several outstanding varieties have been identified and adopted by the agricultural industry. Such varieties include Cayuse, Appaloosa, Border, and Ogle. Most of these varieties are still in use today; however, there are several experimental lines that appear to have higher yield potentials than the currently grown varieties. Several high yielding lines are also more lodging resistant and have higher test weights than current industry standards. The Uniform Northwestern States Oat Nursery is planted at KES each year to identify promising new oat lines for release by public and private breeding programs. Procedures The Uniform Northwestern States Oat Nursery was established at KES on Fordney fine sandy loam that is moderately deep and somewhat poorly drained. The previous crop was potatoes. The crop was irrigated by a solid set sprinkler system. The trial was arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Seed was planted on May 18 at a depth of 2 inches and a seeding rate of 100 lb/a. All plots were fertilized with 80 lb N, 100 lb P 205, and 60 lb S/A at time of seeding. Plots measured 5 x 20 feet with a row spacing of 6 inches. Bromoxynil and MCPA were applied at labeled rates to control broadleaf weeds. Plots were harvested in late September using a plot combine with a 5-foot wide header. Grain yield was recorded for all plots. Test weight was measured in only one replication. Results and Discussion The Uniform Northwestern States Oat Nursery produced a higher average grain yield than most other variety trials at KES in 1993, 1994, and 1995. In 1993, oat yields were higher than other small grains at the station due to infestations of wheat stem maggot and common root rot in barley, wheat and triticale, while oats were relatively unaffected. In 1995, wheat and barley yields were reduced due to poor emergence and common root rot. Oat yields in 1994 were significantly higher than in 1995 and slightly higher than in 1993 (Tables 1 and 2). The highest yielding entry in the 1995 trial was 90AB 1322. It was the second ranked entry in 1994 and over a two-year period it produced more grain than any other entry in the trial (Tables 2 and 3). Other entries producing yields in 1995 not significantly lower than 90AB1322 were 87AB4983, Ajay, Rio Grande, and Prairie. Over a three-year period, 87AB4983 was the highest yielding entry, followed by Rio Grande, 87AB5125, and Ajay. Rio Grande, a newly released oat variety developed in Idaho, has performed well at 1/ Associate Professor and Research Technician, respectively, Klamath Experiment Station, Klamath Falls, OR. 40 KLAMATH EXPERIMENT STATION 1995
Oat Variety Screening in the Klamath Basin, 1995 KES over an extended period of time. It is slightly shorter than Border and more lodging resistant, with test weights similar to Border and superior to Cayuse. Field scale planting of this variety on small acreages is needed to examine the adaptation of this promising new variety on a larger scale. Ajay is another variety that may fit some production niches. It is a semi-dwarf line recently released by the University of Idaho. Commercial quantities of this variety are now available. It is generally 8-12 inches shorter than Cayuse and is very resistant to lodging, even at high N fertilization rates. In a N fertility management study conducted at KES, Ajay produced grain yield equivalent or superior to Cayuse and Monida at all fertilization rates, and was much less prone to lodging (see 1990 Crop Research at KES). Due to lodging resistance and high yield potential, Ajay may be a viable option in high N situations where traditional oat varieties would not be a wise choice. Seed of both 83Ab3250 and 86Ab664 is being increased in preparation for varietal release in other states. Over a five-year period from 1990 to 1994, lodging of 83Ab3250 and 86Ab664 was 3.6 and 12.2 percent, compared to 15.0 and 10.2 percent for Cayuse and Border. Test weight of 83Ab3250 was superior to both Cayuse and Border over the same period. Superior yield, test weight, and lodging resistance make 83Ab3250 a promising oat line. Efforts to secure its release will continue. KLAMATH EXPERIMENT STATION 1995 41
Table 1. 1995 Northwestern Uniform Oat Nursery. Grain yield, test weight, lodging, plant height, and date of 50% heading in Julian days (number of days after January 1) of spring wheat lines planted in the 1995 Northwestern Uniform Oat Nursery. Plots were established on May 18 at Klamath Experiment Station, Klamath County, OR. Entry selection Test wt Lodge Height 50% Heading lb/a lb/bu inches Julian 1 Park 4050 39.0 15 48 207 2 Cayuse 4670 38.0 25 45 204 3 Otana 3730 40.5 30 50 206 4 Monida 4550 38.5 30 47 207 5 Ogle 5930 38.5 0 40 204 6 Calibre 1830 38.0 24 53 209 7 Rio Grande (81Ab5792) 6210 40.5 8 38 202 8 Valley (ND 820603) 5100 42.0 8 45 204 9 82Ab248 5050 38.0 38 44 207 1 0 Ajay (82Ab1142) 6600 40.5 0 39 207 11 83Ab3119 5800 38.5 0 40 208 12 83Ab3250 4850 37.5 51 41 205 13 86Ab664 4930 37.5 1 47 206 14 86Ab1867 5330 39.5 0 41 206 15 Newdak 5720 38.0 6 45 201 16 ND 860416 4690 42.0 23 49 204 17 87Ab5125 5620 40.5 0 40 208 18 84Ab825 5160 38.5 3 40 208 19 88Ab3073+ 4940 46.0 0 42 208 20 Derby 3250 40.5 0 49 204 21 86Ab1616+ 4300 45.0 0 47 209 22 87Ab4983 6840 41.0 0 37 201 23 89Ab6153 5740 41.0 0 35 203 24 IA H61-3-3 3990 36.5 5 50 206 25 Whitestone (ND 870258) 4960 39.5 13 45 206 26 Paul (ND 862915)+ 3940 44.5 0 55 207 27 89Ab1545 5640 41.0 0 40 201 28 90Ab1322 6970 42.0 1 40 206 29 Celsia 5120 39.5 0 48 206 30 Prairie 6160 40.0 0 44 200 31 89Ab4088 5280 42.0 4 43 202 32 91Ab502 5700 39.5 45 39 200 Mean 5080 40.1 10 44 205 LSD (0.05) 1000 21 4 2 CV (%) 10 147 6 1 42 KLAMATH EXPERIMENT STATION 1995
Table 2. Three-Year Summary of Northwestern Uniform Oat Nursery. Summary of grain yield of the Northwestern Uniform Oat Nursery grown from 1993 to 1995. Two-year averages represent 1995 and 1994 grain yields. Plots were established at Klamath Experiment Station, Klamath County, OR. selection 1995 1994 1993 2-year Avg lb/a lb/a lb/a lb/a rank lb/a rank Park 4050 5730 4580 4890 22 4790 20 Cayuse 4670 6520 5660 5600 17 5620 15 Otana 3730 5880 5220 4800 23 4940 19 Monida 4550 6400 5500 5470 19 5480 16 Ogle 5930 6370 5800 6150 7 6030 7 Calibre 1830 5580 3760 3710 28 3720 24 Rio Grande (81Ab5792) 6210 6970 6460 6590 3 6550 2 Valley (ND 820603) 5100 6510 5480 5800 15 5700 14 82Ab248 5050 6880 5460 5960 10 5800 13 Nay (82Ab1142) 6600 6100 5950 6350 4 6220 4 83Ab3119 5800 6100 6680 5950 11 6190 5 83Ab3250 4850 7200 6340 6030 8 6130 6 86Ab664 4930 6700 6140 5820 14 5920 9 86Ab1867 5330 6630 5950 5980 9 5970 8 Newdak 5720 6100 5910 5910 13 5910 12 ND 860416 4690 6350 4870 5520 18 5300 17 87Ab5125 5620 6870 6430 6250 5 6310 3 84Ab825 5160 6690 5880 5920 12 5910 11 88Ab3073+ 4940 4500 4100 4720 25 4510 22 Derby 3250 5530 3450 4390 26 4080 23 86Ab1616+ 4300 5180 4140 4740 24 4540 21 87Ab4983 6840 6790 7120 6810 2 6910 1 89Ab6153 5740 5780 6250 5760 16 5920 10 IA H61-3-3 3990 6540 4900 5260 20 5140 18 Whitestone (ND 870258) 4960 5520 5240 21 Paul (ND 862915)+ 3940 4380 4160 27 89Ab1545 5640 6840 6240 6 90Ab1322 6970 7170 7070 1 Celsia 5120 Prairie 6160 89Ab4088 5280 91Ab502 5700 Mean 5080 6210 5500 5610 5570 LSD (0.05) 1000 730 1030 630 540 CV r4 10 10 10 10 10 KLAMATH EXPERIMENT STATION 1995 43
Table 3. General Summary of Northwestern Uniform Oat Nursery. Grain yield, test weight, lodging, plant height, and date of 50% heading in Julian days (number of days after January 1) of spring wheat lines planted in the Northwestern Uniform Oat Nursery from 1993 to 1995. Values represent three-year average of plots at Klamath Experiment Station, Klamath County, OR. Entry selection Test wt Lodge Height 50% Heading lb/a rank Ib/bu inches Julian 1 Park 4790 20 39.2 15 51 202 2 Cayuse 5620 15 392 10 47 199 3 Otana 4940 19 41.7 10 50 200 4 Monida 5480 16 40.0 17 49 203 5 Ogle 6030 7 39.0 0 44 196 6 Calibre 3720 24 40.0 8 53 203 7 Rio Grande 6550 2 40.8 3 44 197 8 Valley 5700 14 43.0 8 46 200 9 82Ab248 5800 13 39.0 22 46 202 10 /Nay 6220 4 40.5 0 39 200 11 83Ab3119 6190 5 38.5 0 43 202 12 83Ab3250 6130 6 392 17 44 202 13 86Ab664 5920 9 39.3 5 48 201 14 86Ab1867 5970 8 41.5 0 42 197 15 Newdak 5910 12 39.5 3 47 196 16 ND 860416 5300 17 40.8 23 49 200 17 87Ab5125 6310 3 41.3 0 45 203 18 84Ab825 5910 11 38.8 8 44 202 19 88Ab3073+ 4510 22 47.5 0 43 203 20 Derby 4080 23 41.8 0 54 201 21 86Ab1616+ 4540 21 46.0 7 49 203 22 87Ab4983 6910 1 412 7 43 197 23 89Ab6153 5920 10 41.8 0 40 196 24 IA H61-3-3 5140 18 38.8 2 51 201 Mean 5570 40.8 7 46 200 LSD (0.05) 540 2.0 13 2 1 CV (`)/4 10 3 24 6 1 44 KLAMATH EXPERIMENT STATION 1995