Oat

After years of decline in oat acreage, interest in this crop has recently increased again throughout Europe. In addition to the CLASSIC flakes for muesli and porridge, new and novel oat foods such as milk substitutes or gluten-free alternatives are increasing sales of oats in the food sector. Market analysts expect annual global growth of around 14 % for plant-based drinks and beverages until 2028. The increasing health awareness of people and the comparatively environment-friendly production of oats are the main drivers of this development. In addition to high-quality protein and fat, oats contain health-promoting ingredients such as ß-glucan, which makes them unique among cereals. Nor should we forget oats as a CLASSIC fodder crop, which may be on the verge of a renaissance with changed husbandry practices for more animal welfare. Due to its efficient root system, oats are very nutrient-efficient and have a very high crop rotation value. If high yields and good qualities are achieved, oats will therefore find their place in crop rotations. Intensification effects in oat cultivation, however, must always be oriented towards their possible economic viability. The comparatively high water requirement of oats for grain filling requires sowing as early as possible to ensure intensive rooting of the soil. In addition, timely harvesting and professional storage are important. For traders the main important point is often the specific weight of a batch of oats, although it is of little significance for other quality characteristics such as kernel content, hullability, grain size and grading. If oats is planned to be part of the crop rotation, it is important to clarify the questions of marketing possibilities, the price that can be obtained and the yields that can be realized. Prices are often not competitive when marketed freely, so that oats are increasingly becoming a contracted specialty crop on an international level. This should secure the necessary quantities and qualities for processors.

SAATEN-UNION has been the European market leader for oat seed without interruption since 2014. Today, every fourth oat field in Europe grows an oat variety from the NORDSAAT/SAATEN-UNION association. With the JUMBO and GRAMENA varieties, SAATEN-UNION became the undisputed market leader for oats in Germany for more than 20 years since 1992. From 2000 onwards, the FREDDY variety achieved a very large international cultivation spread for SAATEN-UNION for the first time. A European breakthrough in grain quality for oats was achieved in 2003 with the approval of the variety IVORY in Germany. A significantly higher kernel percentage than IVORY was only achieved in 2018 with the variety LION. In 2007, the variety CANYON was approved in Austria for the first time in Europe as an oat variety with the highest resistance to powdery mildew. For successful cultivation in autumn sowing, the variety HUSKY for SAATEN-UNION achieved widespread cultivation in Western and Southern Europe from 2007 onwards. As of 2016, the variety DELFIN was registered in several European countries in Central, Western and Northern Europe as the highest-yielding oat variety ever tested.