Oat is an important fodder crop that originated in Asia. It has many nutritional benefits for both humans and animals. Research institutions in Pakistan have developed high yielding oat varieties that are resistant and adapted to local conditions. Oat shows potential as a crop in Pakistan but is currently underutilized as a human food compared to wheat. More research is needed to develop new oat varieties and promote its uses.

1. OAT “The future Fodder Crop”
Presented by:
Rana Asif Abbas
Department of PBG
PMAS-UAAR

2. Presentation content
Research work on Oat
Genetic improvements in Oat
Selfing and Crossing in Oat
Floral Structure of Oat
Nutritional importance of Oat
Importance of Oat
Origin of Oat
Introduction to Oat

3. Introduction to Oat
Botanical name is “ Avena Sativa”
Family : Poaceae
Genus : Avena
Chromosome number : 2n=6X=42
 Commonly called as “Oat”.
 In Urdu called as “‫”جئ‬ .
 Oat is a annual crop that is classified in to two growing
seasons.
 Winter Oat(September-Spring)
 Spring Oat( Spring-August)
 Oat ranked 6th in world of cereal production following
( wheat, maize, rice, barley, sorghum)
 They are gluten free whole grain.
 Oat is 2nd important fodder of winter in Pakistan.

4.  Oat is grown for grains and fodder purposes.
 In start for fodder only now importance as grains
increasing.
 In Pakistan used as fodder only.
 Oat is a angiosperm and a monocot.
 It has incomplete and perfect flower.
 It is considered as secondary crop as it originated
from weed of primary cereal crop.
 Russia and Canada are biggest producer of Oat in
world.
 Almost 40% of world oat production is by these tow
countries( 4.42MT in Russia wile 4.24MT in Canada)
 90% of Oat which grown in corn belt use for livestock.

5. Origin of Oat
 Oat probably originated from the Asian wild red oat(A.sterilis) and
red oat ( A.byzantina)
 A.Sterilis grew as weed in other grain crops later cultivated.
 It is last among cereals crop that cultivated by human some
2000Bc.
 By genetic evidence we see A.sterilis ancestral forms grow in fertile
crescent of Near east( west Asia, Turkey, Egypt)
 Some related ancestral species of common oat are:
 A.sterilis ( Wild red oat)
 A.fatuva ( common wild oat)
 A.byzantina ( red oat)
 A. sativa orientalis( common side oat)

6. Importance of Oat
 Oat used for both human and animal purposes.
 Oats make great forage for horses, sheep, and cattle.
 This food is high in fiber and can be easily combined
with alfalfa to create a diet that is high in fiber and
protein.
 This diet is precisely what a growing animal needs to
develop muscle mass and a strong digestive system.
 Oat hull used as animal feed and for fuel to power
plants.
 Oat hulls are basic raw material in production of
furfural.

7.  Oat uses in human food as rolled or crushed in to
oatmeal.
 In cold climate countries where wheat cant stand a
chance due to conditions Oat is mostly the substituent
food.
 Oat meal eaten as porridge but also used in baked goods.
 Oats are preferred by Bodybuilders for meals.
 Oat also used for production of milk substitutes(oat milk)
 Winter Oat grown as an off season ground cover mostly
and ploughed in spring as green fertilizer.
 Oat straw prized by cattle and horses producers as
bedding due to soft ,dust free and absorbent nature.
 Oat grass has been used traditionally for medicinal
purposes, including to help balance the menstrual cycle,
treat urinary tract infections.
 Oatmeal contain unique antioxidants which help in fighting
inflammation. They are good for health and reduce cancer
 It has cholesterol lowering effect that make it a good food.
 Oat extracts can also be used to soothe skin conditions,
and are popular for their emollient properties in cosmetics.

8. Nutritional Importance of Oat
 From nutritional point of view oat is most under rated crop.
 Oat grains has more energy ,fats and protein and other nutrition's than wheat.
 Oat nutrition profile per 100 gm.
Source Quantity
Energy 389Kcal
Carbs 66.3g
Fats 6.9g
Proteins 16.9g
Iron 5mg
Magnesium 177mg
manganese 4.9mg
Phosphorus 523mg

9.  Oat hay is very high fibrous.
 Mixture of Oat hay and alfalfa is best food for
horses.
 Oat silage contain more than wheat:
 More dry matter(DM)(38%)
 More acid detergent fiber (ADF) (31.6%)
 More neutral detergent fiber(NDF) ( 45.4%)
 Oat silage has more crude protein than
wheat.
 Oat is a good source of vitamin B.

10. Floral Structure Of Oat
 The flower are enclosed in a bracts and grouped in a
characteristic structure called spikelet.
 Spikelet of oat are arranged in a panicle.
 Each spikelet has a small joints axis or rachilla which bear
floret.
 Within the spikelet the floret are present which vary from 2-3.

11.  In case of 3 florets it consist of
 One opened primary floret(Blue)
 One unopened secondary floret ( Black)
 One rudimentary tertiary floret ( Red)

12.  Blooming begins in the upper floret
 Oats has incomplete flower because it lacks
sepals and petals but perfect flower as has both
stigma and stamen.
 Each floret has lemma palea and two large glume

14. Selfing of Oat
 Selfing in oat is very simple as it is predominantly self pollinated cop.
 To ensure self pollination the spike is enclosed in a bag before maturing .
 The bagging material could be cotton cloth or paper bag.

15. Crossing of Oat
 To ensure cross pollination emasculation is done by removing the anther
with forceps.
 Emasculation is done in following way.

16. Emasculation:
 Select the spike for the emasculation which is still enclosed by the flag
leaf sheath.
 Open the flag leaf sheath by forcing the leaf edges with help of forceps

17.  Cute the sheath and flag leaf at the level of first
node of the rachis.

18.  Remove lateral floret and tip of the spike.

19.  Remove all the anthers with help of forceps from all the
florets.
 All the florets on spike must be emasculated to prevent self
fertilization.
 Bag the emasculated spike to prevent contamination from
foreign pollen.

20. Pollination
 Select a spike in which the anthers have began to dehisce.
 Cut the top one third of the spikelet to expose the anther.

21.  When pollen become visible the
spike is dusted on emasculated
one

22.  Attach the tag with the following information
 Objective
 Date of emasculation
 Date of pollination
 Name of breeder
 Bag the pollinated spikes.

23. Genetic improvements in Oat
 The improvement of Biotech in oat improvement
is not common but it is expected to be playing
key role in future.
 As scientist are knowing more and more about
cytology, genetics, pathology, virology,
entomology and chemistry they are developing
new techniques.
 These techniques will help breeders to make
superior oat varieties.
 It is expected that main work breakthrough in oat
biotech research will be in biochemistry.

24. research Achievements on Oat
 Oat is 2nd important fodder of winter in Pakistan.
 In Pakistan following Research institutes are working on Oat and has released
many verities.
 Ayub Agriculture Research Institute(AARI) ,Faisalabad
 Fodder Research Institute(FRI) ,Sargodha
 National Agriculture research center, Islamabad
 The new verities are high yielding with green fodder, resistant and have
adaptability.
 Sgd. Oats 2011 has highest green yield of 87/Hac among verities.

25. Year of
release
Variety name Institution
2011 Sgd. Oats 2011 FRI
2000 S-2000 FRI
1983 PD2LV65 FRI
1983 Sdg-81 FRI
1983 Avon FRI
1961 Palestine AARI
1962 Fatua AARI
1963 Algerian AARI
1985 W.NO 11 AARI
1974 DN-8 AARI
2011 Narc-Oat NARC

26. Conclusion
 Oat is most under rated in Pakistan as human food because of wheat as our main
crop. But seeing its uses there should be its use in human diet.
 Research institutions should work faster on oat research programs and develop
high green yield verities.
 It is concluded that Oat as crop has so much potential to discover and it is safe to
say it is mostly under-rated crop in Pakistan.