Oat (Avena sativa L.) is a staple worldwide in both human and animal nutrition. It is mainly grown for livestock, depending on its grain and forage yield in Turkey. This study was based on defining correlation coefficients of some oat genotypes (nine lines and three cultivars) in Konya, Turkey, among fodder and grain yields, and their components. The experimental design of this study was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The correlations were analyzed after harvesting at milk to dough period. The findings illustrated that there was a significant positive correlation between green fodder yield and leaf weights in ten stems, and grain yield and the number of panicles stems per square meter. The highest negative correlations was found between green fodder yield and the number of panicles stems per square meter, and grain yield and 50% flowering periods in addition to green fodder yield. This research suggests that the number of panicles stems per square meter and dry fodder yield would be selection criteria for grain yield. The number of leaves per stem, the number of nodes, and plant height would also be considered for green fodder yield by oat breeders in their program in Anatolia.

1. Investigation of Correlation Coefficient for Forage and Grain Yield with Related Traits in Oats
Investigation of Correlation Coefficient for Forage and
Grain Yield with Related Traits in Oats
*SAIT, Cerı1, RAMAZAN, Acar2
1Bahri Dağdaş International Agricultural Research Institute, Konya, Turkey
2Selcuk University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops. 42130 Konya, Turkey
Oat (Avena sativa L.) is a staple worldwide in both human and animal nutrition. It is mainly
grown for livestock, depending on its grain and forage yield in Turkey. This study was based
on defining correlation coefficients of some oat genotypes (nine lines and three cultivars) in
Konya, Turkey, among fodder and grain yields, and their components. The experimental
design of this study was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications.
The correlations were analyzed after harvesting at milk to dough period. The findings
illustrated that there was a significant positive correlation between green fodder yield and leaf
weights in ten stems, and grain yield and the number of panicles stems per square meter. The
highest negative correlations was found between green fodder yield and the number of
panicles stems per square meter, and grain yield and 50% flowering periods in addition to
green fodder yield. This research suggests that the number of panicles stems per square
meter and dry fodder yield would be selection criteria for grain yield. The number of leaves
per stem, the number of nodes, and plant height would also be considered for green fodder
yield by oat breeders in their program in Anatolia.
Keywords: Avena sativa L., oat, correlation coefficient, green fodder yield, grain yield, dry fodder yield
INTRODUCTION
Oat (Avena sativa L.) is a cereal crop, which origin is
believed to be in the Middle East or Mediterranea where
covers three continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa (Murphy
and Hoffman, 1992). It is one of the crucial crops for both
human and animal feed. In a variety of environmental
conditions consist of low fertile soils and cool climates, oat
is a suitable crop for production purposes in comparison
with many other cereal crops (Hoffmann, 1995). Oat had
been considering as weed until it was cultivated after
wheat and barley. Nevertheless, oat, which has a history
of two thousand years, is in third place among the cereal
grains in terms of cultivation and production rate
worldwide. Due to the climate and geographic location,
Turkey is one of the centers of origin and genetic diversity
of many wild, transitional, and cultivated forms of annual
and perennial plants such as the cultivated species of
Allium, Amygdalus, Avena, Beta, Cicer, Hordeum, Lens,
Linum, Pisum, Prunus, Secala, Triticum, and Vitis. In
Turkey, oat cultivation takes fourth place after wheat,
barley, and rye. Oat (Avena sativa L.) is cultivated
worldwide as an annual crop, and in Turkey, it is generally
grown for grain and forage to livestock usage (Mut et all.
2016). There is no significant change in the oat cultivation
area and production in Turkey, considering the cultivation
area and production amount during the past five years. In
contrast, the oat cultivation area in the world has
decreased by 1 million ha, and there has not been any
change in total production. Oats have around 10 million ha
cultivation areas, 24 million tons of production, and 240
kg/da yield in the world (FAO, 2016).
The loss of genetic diversity and the stagnation of yields in
cereals are caused by agricultural modernization,
conventional breeding, and excessive input use.
*Corresponding Author: SAİT, Ceri; Bahri Dağdaş
International Agricultural Research Institute, Konya,
Turkey.
E-mail: osmangazi1@yahoo.com
Co-Author 2
E-mail: racar@selcuk.edu.tr
International Journal of Plant Breeding and Crop Science
Vol. 7(3), pp. 922-927, November, 2020. © www.premierpublishers.org, ISSN: 2167-0449
Research Article

2. Investigation of Correlation Coefficient for Forage and Grain Yield with Related Traits in Oats
Sait et al. 923
Thanks to the oat breeding studies to improve new species
and varieties with high yield potential, the breeding criteria
are well established, and the traits to be breeding are also
well known. On the other hand, the relationship between
grain and forage yields, and their impacts on each other,
specifically for different genotype by environment (GxE)
interactions, should be studied and diagnosed for a better
understanding of oat breeding. This understanding would
give oat breeders the chance of better selections for
targeted aims around the world.
Correlation coefficient analysis provides both positive and
negative interrelationship results between the focused
traits, but do not give the causal basis of such relationships
(Poonia, A.and Phogat, 2018). This research consists the
correlation data of the characteristics that are grain yield
(GY), green fodder yield (GFY), dry matter yield (DMY),
plant height (PH), days to panicle (DP), m2 number of
stems (NS), stem thickness (ST), flag leaf length (FLL),
leaf weight in ten stems (LWS), number of leaves per stem
(NLS), the weight of ten stems (WS), leaf/stem ratio (L/S),
number of nodes per stem (NNS), number of panicle
bearing-stems per square meter (NPSSM).
This study aims to investigate the correlation coefficients
affecting the yield components of oat genotypes. Thus,
clarifying the direct or inverse relationships of the specified
traits in this study could be helpful to breeders in a variety
of development stages.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The field study was conducted at the Bahri Dagdas
International Agricultural Research Institute (BDIARI) in
Konya in irrigated conditions during the early spring
growing season of 2018. The experimental design of this
research was a randomized complete block design
(RCBD) with factorial arrangement three replications of the
selected 12 oat genotypes, which are nine lines and three
cultivars (Table 1).
Table 1: Oat genotypes used in the experiment
G.N. Pedigree
BDY 1 ND040492(ND970216/Souris)/FL0917F1(OA 1178-2 /FL03184-K9)
BDY 2 FL0105-H3 TX97C1168/IA91462-45-6
BDY 3 BW 803/FL99078-H1
BDY 4 UFRGS 046054-2/MN06120
BDY 5 UFRGS 028153-2 (UFRGS 881971//PC68*5/STARTER F4)/FL0109 - H3 (P94327A2-2-2-3-3/LA989IBI-42 F4)
BDY 6 UFRGS 046054-2/MN06120
BDY 7 FL0567-L1(UFRGS028152-1/FL0123-H2)/FL0905F1(UPF98H1600-2-1/FL03129- Ab3)
BDY 8 NC03-2421 / LA09094,F1(UFRGS087212-1 / LA04004SBSB-61-B-S1)
BDY 9 UPF97H300-2-12 / ND030349
BDY 10 DİRİLİŞ
BDY 11 CHEOCOTA
BDY 12 SEYDİŞEHİR
BDY-1, BDY-2, BDY-3, BDY-4, BDY-5, BDY-6, BDY-7,
BDY-8, BDY-9 lines are provided by Bahri Dagdas
International Agricultural Research Institute (BDIARI).
Diriliş, Cheocota, and Seydişehir varieties were also used
as research materials.
Seydişehir oat variety, which released in 2004 by BDIARI,
is a local variety and has favorable forage yield and quality
traits. Diriliş oat variety, which released in 2017 by
BDIARI, is a desirable oat variety for its grain and forage
yield. Cheocota oat variety was released by Eskisehir
Transitional Zone Agricultural Research Institute (ETRI)
and selected for its high-quality traits.
In 2018, when the study was carried out, the average
temperature was higher than the average for many years
(Table 2). Although a total of 14.4 mm rainfall in April, there
was a drought in early spring (Table 2). Table 2 below also
shows the relative humidity rate, which averages 60,4% in
the spring period in 2018.
During the research process, rainfall, which usually falls in
April, is spread over May and the following months due to
climate change. Thus, the total amount of precipitation in
the spring period (March-June 2018) was 161.4 mm, while
it has been a total of 126.8 mm for many years (Table 2).

3. Investigation of Correlation Coefficient for Forage and Grain Yield with Related Traits in Oats
Int. J. Plant Breed. Crop Sci. 924
Table 2: Temperature and rainfall averages of Konya for a long term (1950-2018) and spring (March, April, May,
June) cultivation period*
Months Temperature (0C) Rainfall
(mm)
Relative Humidity
(%)
Long Term Average
(1950-2018) 2018
Long Term Average
(1950-2018) 2018 2018
March 5,5 9,8 26,2 36 67,6
April 11,1 13,9 38,8 14,4 52,9
May 15,7 17,2 41,7 72,2 66,9
June 19,9 21,2 20,1 38,8 54,2
Average 13,05 15,53 31,7 40,35 60,4
Total 52,2 62,1 126,8 161,4 241,6
Soil samples of this experiment were collected from topsoil
(0-30 cm depth) and analyzed for defining the physical and
chemical properties of the field where the research was
run. The results of the soil analysis illustrated that the area,
where the experiment was set up, has a clay-loamy
structure, and it contains medium (1.83%) organic matter
rate. The soil in this area has high lime content (31.32%)
and shows alkaline (pH: 8.30) reaction. The soil has a
sufficient amount of phosphorus (9 kg/da), and it is rich in
potassium (75.53 kg/da). Also, the soil analysis results
highlight no salinity problem.
Oat seeds were sowed on 450 parcels/m2 in irrigated
conditions on the 27th of March in 2018. The parcel
dimensions of the experiment were 8.4 m2 (1.2x7 m) with
six rows and 20 cm spaced apart from each row. The field
experiment was irrigated in 3 stages; 1) during the
plantation, 2) when having 2-5 siblings, 3) the beginning of
stalk growth in 2-3 cm from the ground (Zadoks growth
scale 30-31). Irrigation applications were applied after
fertilization for six hours. In the experiment, 9 kg/da P2O5,
12 kg/da N fertilizer was applied. Weed was controlled by
using a chemical (2.4-D Ester, 130 g/da).
The period between milk and pulp death was highly
recommended for the shaping of oats and other cereal
grains by Staples (1989). For this reason, trial parcels were
cut with a reaping-hook during the milk to dough the
growing stage.
Correlation coefficients among forage, grain yield, and
other traits were analyzed by the statistics program JMP
11.
MAIN TRAITS
Grain yield (kg/da): In the parcels planted in six rows, the
plants at one meter from the head and the end were thrown
as edge effects not to impact the whole experiment
incorrectly. The area of the parcel was six m² and the grain
yield data, which calculated as kg/da, was obtained from
these parcels.
Green forage yield (kg/da): The green forage yield data
was attained by using the protocol of Albayrak (2003) with
little modification. The oat plants of each genotype were
harvested during the milk-dough period. Oats, which are
cut from 1 m2 area, then weighed and turned into a decare.
After that, the green forage yield is calculated for kg/da.
Dry matter yield (kg/da): After harvesting from each plot,
the materials were weighed and 0.5 kg (500 gram) of green
forage samples were taken randomly from each. They
were dried in the drying cabinet at 70 oC for 48 hours
(Ünal, 2011). After that, the samples were kept at room
temperature for 24 hours to weight dried samples in an
electronic balance with 0.05 g sensitivity. Then dry fodder
yield was calculated in kg/da.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
One of the essential requirements of selection programs is
to ascertain the nature and magnitude of the
interrelationships among yield, its component traits, and
other traits. Correlation studies are crucial to improve the
understanding of various quantitative traits related to
forage and grain yield. (Ahmad et al., 2013).
According to the correlation coefficient analysis; green
fodder yield had a significant positive correlation with days
to panicle (0.3007), dry matter yield ((0.3392), m2 number
of stems (0.3081), stem thickness (0.2273), flag leaf length
(0.3673), leaf weight in ten stems(0.4473), number of
leaves per stem (0.5450), ten stem weight (0.4546) and
number of node in the stem (0.5036) (Table 3).
The correlation coefficients result also show that green
fodder yield had a significant negative correlation with
grain yield (-0.5067), and the number of panicles stems per
square meter (-0.3496) (Table 3).
Dry matter yield had a significant positive correlation with
grain yield (0.2291), green fodder yield (0.3392), plant
height (0.2558), stem thickness (0.2438), flag leaf length
(0.2528), the number of leaves per stem (0.2587) and the

4. Investigation of Correlation Coefficient for Forage and Grain Yield with Related Traits in Oats
Sait et al. 925
number of nodes in the stem (0.4679) depending upon the
correlation coefficients analysis (Table 3).
Contrarily, dry matter yield had a significant negative
correlation with days to panicle (-0.3984) based on the
data obtained from correlation coefficient analysis (Table
3).
Grain yield was found significantly correlated with dry
matter yield (0.2291), and the number of panicles stems
per square meter (0.6863) (Table 3).
Parameters that are effective on green forage yield were
generally found to decrease grain yield. Grain yield had a
significant negative correlation with leaf weight in ten
Stems (-0.6108), days to panicle (-0.5755), the number of
leaves in the stem (-0.5143), leaf weight in ten stems (-
0.5119), green fodder yield (-0.5067), leaf to stem ratio (-
0.4899) (Table 3).
Earlier it was pointed out that breeding new varieties for
developing yield by considering yield components and
quantitative traits related to it is significant to study for a
successful breeding program (Micke, 1979).
Many studies in oats were found significant negative
correlations between grain yield and plant height (Iannucci
et al., 2011; Buerstmayr et al. 2007; Dumlupinar et al.,
2012). Correlation coefficient analysis does not explain the
causal fundamentals of relationships between variables
but gives information about how significant the positive
and negative correlation relationships of the selected traits
(Poonia, A., Phogat, 2018).
This study was found that dry matter yield correlated
positively with plant height and green fodder yield.
In the research, days to 50% flowering was found
positively correlated with green fodder yield plant-¹
contrary to some earlier studies such as Ahmad et al.
(2013) study that was obtained a negative association. On
the other side, the leaf stem ratio was negatively correlated
with days to 50% flowering.
Our study was also found insignificant of the correlation
relationship between the number of leaves plant-1 and
culm diameter, green fodder yield plant-¹, the number of
tillers m-¹, plant height, leaf stem ratio, and dry matter yield.
The earlier studies were exhibited that plant height had a
positive correlation with flag leaf length, days to 50%
flowering, seed yield, green fodder yield, and dry matter
yield ( Ziya et al., (2001), Kumar et al., (2004), Lorencetti
et al. (2006), Surje and De (2014), Ahmed et al. (2013),
Krishna et al. (2014) and Kumar, et al. (2016)). According
to our results, plant height positively correlated with leaf
stem ratio, culm diameter, and the number of tillers m-¹.
In our research, stem thickness (ST) or culm diameter was
found insignificant in terms of the correlation with the
number of tiller m-¹ but significant concerning the positive
relationship with the leaf stem ratio.
Table 3: COEFFICIENTS OF CORRELATION AMONG INVESTIGATED TRAITS
GY DP GFY DMY PH NS NPS NNS ST 10 SW 10 NLS L/ S FLL 10 LW
GY 1
DP -0,5755 1
GFY -0,5067 0,3007 1
DMY 0,2291 -0,3983 0,3392 1
PH -0,1888 -0,441 0,4561 0,2558 1
NS -0,1495 0,2327 0,3081 -0,0812 0,0122 1
NPS 0,6863 -0,7408 -0,3496 0,0907 0,2843 0,0236 1
NNS -0,3703 0,1386 0,5036 0,4679 0,3884 -0,1133 -0,5432 1
ST -0,3864 0,2631 0,2273 0,2438 0,0361 -0,6282 -0,5144 0,4107 1
10 SW -0,5119 0,1957 0,4546 0,1555 0,3803 -0,4501 -0,5036 0,4956 0,8723 1
10 NLS -0,5143 0,5191 0,4473 0,0801 0,2197 -0,1164 -0,6454 0,5338 0,7349 0,8286 1
L/ S -0,4899 0,6518 0,2176 -0,0348 -0,0658 0,4079 -0,514 0,3481 0,1758 0,1781 0,6916 1
FLL -0,3300 0,1744 0,3673 0,2528 0,4534 -0,3295 -0,273 0,5936 0,7599 0,7969 0,7693 0,3492 1
10 LW -0,6108 0,2859 0,545 0,2587 0,2424 0,2043 -0,6865 0,8005 0,1313 0,3258 0,4808 0,46 0,1707 1
DP: Days to Panicle; GY: Grain yield; GFY: green fodder yield; DMY: Dry matter yıeld; PH: plant height; NS: m2 Number
of Stems; NPS: Number of Panicle's Stems; NNS: Number of Node in the Stem; ST: Stem Thickness; 10 SW: 10 Stem
weight; 10 LW: 10 Leave weight; 10 NLS: Number of Leaves in the 10 Stem; L/S: Leaf to stem ratio; FLL: Flag Leaf
Length

5. Investigation of Correlation Coefficient for Forage and Grain Yield with Related Traits in Oats
Int. J. Plant Breed. Crop Sci. 926
CONCLUSION
According to the results in this study, the highest positive
correlation with green forage yield was determined in leaf
weights (0.545) in 10 stems, and the highest negative
correlation with green forage yield was found in the
number of panicle's stems per square meter (-0.3496).
Additionally, the highest negative correlation with grain
yield was expressed in the 50% flowering period (-0.5755)
and green forage yield (-0.5067).
This study concludes that the number of panicle-bearing
stems per square meter defined in the 50% flowering
period could be utilized as a selection criterion by oat
breeders regarding higher grain yield and green fodder
yield.
When selecting for green fodder yield, the number of
leaves per stem, the number of nodes per stem, and plant
height should be evaluated together with other traits in the
oat breeding program.
Another important conclusion from this research is that the
number of panicles stems per square meter (0.6863)
should be evaluated together with other traits into the
breeding program.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported by the BAP Coordination of
Selçuk University with Project Number 18201051. This
research article covers a part of the Master's Thesis of
Sait CERİ.
We also thank Betul Kayitmazbatir for her help in editing
this manuscript.
All authors contributed this work equally, and approved
the final manuscript.
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Accepted 20 July 2020
Citation: Saıt C, Ramazan A (2020). Investigation of
Correlation Coefficient for Forage and Grain Yield with
Related Traits in Oats. International Journal of Plant
Breeding and Crop Science, 7(3) 922-927.
Copyright: © 2020: Sait et al. This is an open-access
article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original author and source are cited.