OAT variety Durack has fallen short of reaching top milling classification for a second year after failing to meet benchmark nutrition levels.
The short-season variety was first trialled commercially by Quaker Oats on behalf of the Grain Industry Association of Western Australia (GIWA) Oat Council in February 2017, when it passed industry standards for physical milling characteristics, but fell short of the required four per-cent beta-glucan content.
It was initially thought frost throughout the 2016 season played a role in the varieties trial shortcomings, however further testing from the 2017 and 2018 Durack crop have seen the variety again fail to consistently meet required beta-glucan content standards, making it only eligible for OAT2 classification in WA.
According to GIWA Oat Council chairman Ash Wiese, Durack’s failure to meet nutritional standards was somewhat unexpected.
“It has come as a bit of a surprise given that the beta-glucan data from the breeding trials in South Australia showed pretty strong beta-glucan levels and when it was trialled in WA those levels have dropped a bit,” Mr Wiese said.
“That was a concern to the market because we want to maintain our reputation of good beta-glucan levels.”
Mr Wiese said Durack would remain included in trials throughout the next year but there were no plans to change its accreditation.
Despite its OAT2 classification, Mr Wiese said he still expected growers in low rainfall areas to grow the variety.
“It’s a very short season variety and it’s got the ability to produce quality grain even with a shorter finish, but it doesn’t have the yield as some of the higher yielding varieties have in the high rainfall varieties,” Mr Wiese said.
“I know there is definitely people interested in the lower rainfall areas.”
Meantime, new variety Kowari has received the tick of approval and been granted OAT1 milling classification by GIWA.
The Heritage Seed variety met all physical and nutritional specifications in its commercial milling trial carried out by Quaker Oats.
Based on its agronomic performance in research trials, Mr Wiese said Kowari was not expected to compete with high yielding varieties Bannister or Williams.
“It’s a very new variety available for purchase this year and it’s really a replacement for Mitika which has been a high quality milling variety in the past,” Mr Wiese said.
