Crop scientists at SCRI in Invergowrie are to take part in a major study to develop new varieties of oats that will provide significant economic and environmental benefits for growers, millers, and the dairy, beef and poultry industries.

QUOATS, a £4.9m five year project funded by the Scottish Government, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government, is also expected to provide health benefits as more and more people turn to oats as part of a healthier diet.

Increased demand for safe, healthy and nutritious food or feedstuff, together with increased agricultural energy and fertiliser costs and the need to farm in a more sustainable manner are among the drivers behind the study according Dr Derek Stewart, Head of Plant Products and Food Quality at SCRI.

“Oats are a valuable ‘break’ crop in cereal rotations reducing disease and weed problems, require less fertiliser than wheat, perform well in marginal areas and are a high-value animal feed which can be grown and fed on-farm.”

“At SCRI we are successfully combining fundamental research on plant genetics with plant breeding techniques to develop commercially viable plant varieties that help meet the challenges of food, water and energy security, and environmental sustainability,” he added.

The Scottish Government’s Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “I welcome the involvement of SCRI in this major study to help develop new varieties of oats, providing economic and environmental benefits for our agriculture and food industries.

“Many people believe Scotland produces some of the finest quality oats in the world, and there is an increasing demand to farm in a more sustainable way and produce safe and nutritious food and feedstuff.

“The Scottish Government is part-funding this five year project through a £480,000 investment, as part of our commitment to supporting our world-renowned science base and farming industry. This should benefit not only the scientific community but also boost Scottish agriculture and stimulate wider economic growth. I hope this research will also provide significant health benefits as more Scots turn to oats as part of a healthier diet.”

A review for the Scottish Government conducted by Dr Stewart’s team at SCRI has identified some of the key health benefits of oats:

• they can help reduce cholesterol
• they can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
• they can influence blood pressure
• oats are low GI foods providing a steady release of energy
• oats provide soluble and insoluble fibre that can support beneficial bacteria and influence gastrointestinal health
• oats can enhance the human immune system though the action of β-glucans (the active ingredients in oats).

The new research project is being led by the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University.

Oat varieties developed at IBERS currently account for nearly 70% of the UK oat seed market, with a retail sales value in excess of £2M. One variety, ‘Gerald’, developed by the IBERS is the most-widely grown winter oat with 45% of the market, while a dwarf naked oat variety accounts for about 5% of the total winter oat crop.

Oats are traditionally an important animal feedstuff and modern varieties fit well into rations. The team will also develop oats that provide a high energy feed for the poultry and ruminant sectors that may also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from animal production.

And, in a novel and innovative development, the project will also investigate the possibility of using oats to manufacture important platform chemicals for the plastics, cosmetics and food industry.

Notes to editors

QUOATS Funding

The QUOATS project is jointly sponsored by BBSRC, Defra through the Sustainable Arable LINK Programme, and European Regional Development Funding through the Welsh Assembly Government’s Academic Expertise for Business Programme and through the Scottish Government Contract Research Fund.

QUOATS Partners

The project partners are ADAS UK Ltd, Bernard Matthews Ltd, British Oat and Barley Millers' Association, Du Pont (UK) Limited, G B Seeds, Halo Foods Ltd, Harper Adams University College, Mole Valley Feed Solutions, Nairns Oatcakes Ltd, Oat Services, Phytatec (UK) Ltd, Poultry Xperience, Progressive Farming Trust Ltd, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Senova Ltd and the DairyCo, EBLEX and HGCA divisions of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

The Scottish Government’s Rural and Environment Research and Analysis Directorate (RERAD) invests more than £13 million annually in the work of SCRI, as part of overall funding to its main research providers through the current research strategy.

More information from:

Phil Taylor, Head of Communications, SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA. Tel: 01382 560044 (direct line), Mobile: 07810 860 701 or

Lorraine Wakefield, Information and Online Service Officer, SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA. Tel: 01382 560047 (direct line) or 562731 (switchboard).