New Oat Variety Might Boost Agricultural Practices

The Clemson University Experiment Station recently developed a new variety of oat, the end goal being that of helping farmers grow more resilient crops and therefore boost agricultural industries worldwide.

This research is a result of a partnership between said institution and the S.C. Crop Improvement Association.

According to the scientists who worked on this project, the oat they developed matures considerably faster than the other one presently available on the market and also produces more seeds.

This translates into farmers' no longer having to worry as much about keeping their crops safe from weeds: because it grows so fast, this new type of oat deals with such problems itself.

As reported on Clemson University's official website, Chris Ray, who is in charge of running the S.C. Crop Improvement Association, argues that “Better seed means quicker emergence, better stand establishment and vigorous growth to suppress weed infestations.”

He further goes on to explain how “What's more, uniform plant development – flowering and maturity – makes it easier to time fungicide or insecticide applications. And it means easier harvest and reduced drying costs.”

This new oat variety was named by the scientists working on its development after Professor W. Doyce Graham, who was employed at the Clemson University from 1966 up until 2003.

As one can easily imagine, his field of expertise was grains and everything having to do with breeding them.

Graham oat seeds are presently produced at the Clemson University, and seedsmen interested in testing their efficiency have access to them.

From where we stand, it is of utmost importance to invest in developing new varieties of crops, which are fully capable of dealing with the ever-harsher environmental conditions.

To be more precise: but for improving on our crops' ability to withstand extreme weather manifestations such as droughts and storms – which occur ever more often nowadays – odds are that global agricultural practices will find themselves negatively impacted on.