Processed Oat Partnership (POP)

Are you an active participant of the WA oat industry and want to attend OAT2026?

The Processed Oat Partnership (POP) is offering up to ten $4500 AUD (exclusive of GST) bursaries as part of a POP International Study Tour – assisting WA oat industry stakeholders to travel to Chile, South America, to attend the 2026 International Oat Conference (OAT2026) and participate in any additional pre- or post-conference oat-focused side events arranged by GIWA. Expressions of interest are by Friday 15 May 2026.

ABOUT POP

CURRENTLY CO-FUNDED POP PROJECTS

FAQs ABOUT POP

Learn More

About POP

The Processed Oat Industry Growth Partnership (POP) is an industry-led initiative, supported by the Western Australian Government, which has committed $10.12 million to the program. Industry partners are also contributing through cash, technical expertise, and in-kind support. The initiative is designed to lay a strong foundation for long-term growth of the WA oat industry.

Over 20 years, the POP aims to significantly increase the state’s production of processed oats. This will be achieved by improving overall grain yields, expanding the area sown and supporting industry to capture a greater share of the growing global demand for oat-based products.

The POP supports the WA oat processing industry through four pillars: Breeding, Market Access, Production and Supply Chain. Each pillar encompasses a range of projects that will deliver short- to long-term outcomes all aimed to set the industry up for long term success.

For example, outcomes of projects within the Market Access and Supply Chain pillars are expected to deliver more immediate, short-term results that will swiftly benefit the industry. This is balanced by projects under the Breeding Program and Production pillars that will deliver medium and long-term benefits, realised when new agronomic practices are adopted and when new improved varieties are released.

Currently co-funded POP projects

Since its commencement during 2021, the POP has co-funded a range of projects to benefit WA’s oat industry – noting that some projects straddle two pillars.

Breeding program

Global standard WA-specific breeding programs that are responsive to market needs

Project name	Objectives and outputs	Delivery partner(s)	Project status
Mapping of Septoria isolates: improving disease resistance, such as Septoria resistance	Septoria blotch is a major foliar disease affecting oat production in Western Australia (WA), with average yield losses of approximately 15%, and up to 50% in extreme cases, causing significant economic impact. Currently, no WA oat varieties possess resistance to this disease. This project aimed to address this gap by developing genetic resources and breeding tools to accelerate the creation of Septoria-resistant oat cultivars. Key achievements include: 1. Development of 25 new mutant breeding lines derived from Bannister (the leading WA oat variety, grown in >60% of WA oat areas), showing improved resistance. These lines have been transferred to InterGrain for field evaluation and breeding. 2. Identification of six globally sourced oat lines with stable, broad-spectrum resistance—PI 194201, GLIDER, CONDOR, MAGNIF 29, UPF 775434, and ARGENTINA—selected from over 2,000 accessions. These have also been transferred to InterGrain. 3. Discovery of molecular markers and QTLs on chromosomes 1A, 1D, 2D, 4D, 6C, and 7D associated with resistance, enabling marker-assisted selection. 4. Confirmation of no distinct pathotypes among 42 Parastagonospora avenae isolates collected across WA and tested at the seedling stage. Although isolates varied in aggressiveness, no differential virulence was observed. This finding simplifies breeding strategies by removing the need to develop resistance against specific pathotypes, allowing breeders to focus on broad-spectrum resistance. Further testing of isolates at the adult plant stage is currently underway as part of a new project. These outputs will accelerate the development of resistant oat varieties, reduce fungicide reliance, and safeguard the sustainability of WA’s oat industry.	Western Crop Genetic Alliance (DPIRD, InterGrain and Murdoch University)	Completed
Extension of pan genome project: provide enabling technologies to oat breeders and researchers to enhance capacity for oat genetic improvement	Oat pan genome will provide genomic tools to revolutionise oat breeding. The project has decoded the genetic codes of Australian key oat varieties Bannister, Bilby and Williams together with resequencing of 80 other Australian oat varieties. The project identified a key genome structural variation in the WA oat variety Bannister for high yield and a diagnostic tool was developed for breeding. The genomic resources have provided to InterGrain, Curtin University, University of Adelaide, University of Sydney and CSIRO for breeding and research to improve oat productivity, including disease resistance, yield and quality. The research findings can be found here.	Western Crop Genetic Alliance (DPIRD, InterGrain and Murdoch University)	Completed
Is deep sowing the next step change opportunity for oats with long mesocotyl?	This project aims to unlock the potential of deep sowing in oats, leveraging the crop’s unique physiology, specifically, the presence of a mesocotyl, to enable earlier sowing into deeper stored soil moisture. It will generate the knowledge oat growers need to confidently adopt deep sowing, while equipping breeders with tools to select for genetic traits that support this practice By 2026, oats are the preferred cereal option for deep and early sowing across WA. This will drive an approximate 20% increase in area sown to oats, resulting in higher yields and fewer physical grain quality downgrades. This project will provide farmers and agronomists with the knowledge needed to implement this new farming system approach, while also equipping breeders with an understanding genetic variation and a selection toolbox for the trait to support future improvements.	Delivered by InterGrain	Underway

Project name

Objectives and outputs

Delivery partner(s)

Project status

Mapping of Septoria isolates: improving disease resistance, such as Septoria resistance

Septoria blotch is a major foliar disease affecting oat production in Western Australia (WA), with average yield losses of approximately 15%, and up to 50% in extreme cases, causing significant economic impact. Currently, no WA oat varieties possess resistance to this disease. This project aimed to address this gap by developing genetic resources and breeding tools to accelerate the creation of Septoria-resistant oat cultivars.

Key achievements include:

1. Development of 25 new mutant breeding lines derived from Bannister (the leading WA oat variety, grown in >60% of WA oat areas), showing improved resistance. These lines have been transferred to InterGrain for field evaluation and breeding.

2. Identification of six globally sourced oat lines with stable, broad-spectrum resistance—PI 194201, GLIDER, CONDOR, MAGNIF 29, UPF 775434, and ARGENTINA—selected from over 2,000 accessions. These have also been transferred to InterGrain.

3. Discovery of molecular markers and QTLs on chromosomes 1A, 1D, 2D, 4D, 6C, and 7D associated with resistance, enabling marker-assisted selection.

4. Confirmation of no distinct pathotypes among 42 Parastagonospora avenae isolates collected across WA and tested at the seedling stage. Although isolates varied in aggressiveness, no differential virulence was observed. This finding simplifies breeding strategies by removing the need to develop resistance against specific pathotypes, allowing breeders to focus on broad-spectrum resistance. Further testing of isolates at the adult plant stage is currently underway as part of a new project.

These outputs will accelerate the development of resistant oat varieties, reduce fungicide reliance, and safeguard the sustainability of WA’s oat industry.

Western Crop Genetic Alliance (DPIRD, InterGrain and Murdoch University)

Completed

Extension of pan genome project: provide enabling technologies to oat breeders and researchers to enhance capacity for oat genetic improvement

Oat pan genome will provide genomic tools to revolutionise oat breeding. The project has decoded the genetic codes of Australian key oat varieties Bannister, Bilby and Williams together with resequencing of 80 other Australian oat varieties.

The project identified a key genome structural variation in the WA oat variety Bannister for high yield and a diagnostic tool was developed for breeding. The genomic resources have provided to InterGrain, Curtin University, University of Adelaide, University of Sydney and CSIRO for breeding and research to improve oat productivity, including disease resistance, yield and quality.

The research findings can be found here.

Western Crop Genetic Alliance (DPIRD, InterGrain and Murdoch University)

Completed

Is deep sowing the next step change opportunity for oats with long mesocotyl?

This project aims to unlock the potential of deep sowing in oats, leveraging the crop’s unique physiology, specifically, the presence of a mesocotyl, to enable earlier sowing into deeper stored soil moisture. It will generate the knowledge oat growers need to confidently adopt deep sowing, while equipping breeders with tools to select for genetic traits that support this practice

By 2026, oats are the preferred cereal option for deep and early sowing across WA. This will drive an approximate 20% increase in area sown to oats, resulting in higher yields and fewer physical grain quality downgrades. This project will provide farmers and agronomists with the knowledge needed to implement this new farming system approach, while also equipping breeders with an understanding genetic variation and a selection toolbox for the trait to support future improvements.

Delivered by InterGrain

Underway

Production capacity

Targeted on-farm productivity and capacity research

Project name	Objectives and outputs	Delivery partner(s)	Project status
Building grain yield (without neglecting physical grain quality) in milling oats through a better understanding of source and sink relationships and developing a targeted selection toolbox for future breeding gains (Yield per se project)	Oats are an important crop for Western Australia; however, total production per unit area has stalled in comparison to barley and wheat. A key reason is that the oat industry has missed earlier waves of technological advancement, such as marker-assisted breeding, that have enhanced yield potential in other cereals. The result is that in West Australia, there has been no genetic gain in grain yield for milling oats since the release of Bannister and Williams in 2012. This project will determine whether grain yield in oats is source- or sink-limited and use this understanding to develop targeted breeding strategies based on WA’s environmental characteristics. By uncoupling the genetic and environmental limitations of yield, the project will define environment types, identify traits that confer adaptive advantage, and guide selection decisions. This approach will optimise the breeding toolbox, accelerate recurrent selection and variety development, and reduce release timelines. Ultimately, it aims to ensure that the rate of genetic gain for milling oats in WA matches or exceeds that of wheat and barley.	DPIRD and InterGrain	Completed
Compositional quality: the beta-glucan, protein, and fat levels in WA grown oats	Oats are nutritionally superior to other major cereal crops, offering excellent protein quality, a favourable lipid profile, and high levels of β-glucan. Given this, there is a strong imperative for breeding programs to ensure that newly released oat varieties meet the evolving needs of the processing industry. Numerous international studies have demonstrated significant genetic variation in oat β-glucan levels, highlighting the potential for targeted improvement. The main deliverable of this project is to inform breeding programs about negative correlations between key traits that may hinder simultaneous selection, such as β-glucan, groat oil content, and grain protein. Additionally, the project will assess the influence of genotype, location, year, and agronomic practices, along with their interactions, on trait performance. This deeper understanding will significantly enhance the ability to breed and select for desirable combinations of traits and refine selection methodologies. A key tool in this process will be enhanced Near-Infrared Reflectance (NIR) calibrations, which will be used initially for selection and later as a basis for developing genomic selection models that predict β-glucan, grain protein, and oil (fat) content in the short to medium term. Ultimately, the project outcome is to deliver an improved selection toolbox, enabling the efficient development of oat varieties that meet industry targets—at least 4% β-glucan, without increasing groat oil content or reducing grain protein levels. A better understanding of the interplay between these traits in InterGrain breeding material and parent lines will support the development of fixed lines with enhanced end-product quality to meet processor and consumer requirements.	DPIRD and InterGrain delivered the project together with DPIRD as the project lead	Completed
Building the supply of milling oats grown under certified organic farming systems	Western Australia is Australia’s dominant oat producer. Organic oats account for less than 2% of total production despite strong price premiums and demand that exceeds supply. The POP Organic Oat project, delivered by DPIRD and Living Farm with grower collaboration, was established to identify practical, evidence-based strategies to improve productivity, grain quality and supply reliability in organic oat production systems. The project assessed the impact of sowing date and variety selection on crop performance under organic management. Field trials were conducted across multiple locations over two seasons, comparing April and May sowing and evaluating a range of commercial varieties and advanced breeding lines. Measurements included crop establishment, yield, grain quality, disease, and weed pressure. Early sowing consistently improved grain quality, resulting in more grain meeting organic oat receival standards. Yield responses to early sowing were variable and site-specific, but quality gains were robust across environments. Bannister remained a reliable yield benchmark, however Goldie, Minnie and Wandering showed greater potential for premium grain delivery, particularly when sown early. Several advanced lines also demonstrated promise for organic systems. The findings demonstrate that sowing date and variety choice are critical levers for improving returns in organic oat systems. Strategic adoption of early sowing where establishment risks are manageable, combined with varieties better aligned to organic receival standards, offers a clear pathway to improving returns, supply consistency and industry growth.	DPIRD and Living Farm	Completed
OATSPO24	OATSPO24 was a high-profile field day event showcasing the latest research and developments in the WA oat industry. Attendees had the opportunity to visit trial sites, observe demonstrations, and engage in discussions about current and future trends in oat production. OATSPO24 took place on 10 September 2024 in Highbury, near Narrogin. The event attracted more than 250 participants including researchers, domestic processors, traders, and industry stakeholders. Throughout the event, participants explored the Oat Tech trial and research sites, gaining insights into key aspects of oat cultivation such as variety selection, nutrition strategies, seeding practices, weed and disease control, canopy management, and harvesting techniques. The event highlighted WA’s potential to capture a greater share of the growing global demand for nutritious oat products. The results of the trials and demonstrations showcased at the event are available here. Find out more about OATSPO here.	GIWA and ConsultAg	Completed
OATSPO26	OATSPO 2026 is currently in development and promises to be just as successful as OATSPO24.	GIWA and ConsultAg	Underway

Capturing the Market

New product development, and value adding and manufacturing opportunities

Project name	Objectives and outputs	Delivery partner(s)	Project status
An economic lens to capture increased market value for oats through industry innovation and better targeted industry investment - AEGIC* project 1	This project supports strategic investment in the WA oat industry by providing market insights to identify growth opportunities, reduce risk, and guide decision-making across both industry and government. Project outcomes include: Facilitated investment in WA’s oat industry Market intelligence will be gathered on how oats are consumed and marketed internationally, and how these trends are expected to evolve over the next decade. This will enable WA breeders, processors, exporters, and oat food manufacturers to make better-informed strategic decisions based on overseas consumer preferences and demand patterns. Increased support for DPIRD initiatives Using updated state-wide economic models, the project will assess the broader economic impacts of expanding oat production and processing in WA. These findings will be communicated to key government agencies (e.g. Treasury and Finance) and stakeholders to build understanding and support for ongoing investment. First-mover and branding advantages The project will evaluate cost-effective value-adding initiatives—such as branding WA oats based on the state’s clean and green image or targeting niche market demands (e.g. no desiccation). These efforts aim to increase product value, secure market share, and strengthen the competitiveness of WA oats against overseas competitors. Final reports are available here.	AEGIC*	Underway
Strengthening the WA oat classification system - AEGIC* project 2	The project aims to modernise WA’s oat classification system in response to growing demand from health-focused human food markets. It will ensure new oat varieties align with evolving processing needs and help manage genetic diversity to support consistent end-product quality across emerging uses. The outcome will be: 1. Greater ability to capture high-value markets by consistently supplying oats that meet specific market requirements. 2. Improved functionality of Australian oats influences customer purchasing decisions and supports demand. Developing clear quality targets for premium milling oats will ensure product that meets market expectations. 3. Breeding targets are aligned with market requirements to support WA oats’ access and growth in new and expanding market segments. Understanding quality needs across the value chain will guide the development of varieties that match customer demands. 4. Growers and the oat industry capitalise on the forecasted growth in demand for premium milling oats. 5. Better-informed research and investment decisions.	AEGIC*	Underway
Novel innovation in oat processing and new product development: extracting greater value for WA oats - AEGIC* project 3	Oats have a strong and growing reputation as a health food, leveraging this presents a key opportunity to drive demand for WA oats. The project outcome will be 1. New and innovative oat-based food concepts and value capture opportunities support demand for oats Oats have strong global potential beyond traditional breakfast use. Growing consumer demand for healthy, innovative products presents value-adding opportunities for WA oat processors and will help drive demand for WA oats. 2. Demand for WA oats increases by expanding oat export markets in Southeast Asia and other markets. New product development will focus on Southeast Asian food preferences as well as new product development aimed at the health and sports nutrition market. 3. International and domestic commercialisation of novel oat foods is supported to drive demand for WA oats. Pathways for the oat industry to realise commercial and value add opportunities will be developed. 4. Customers better understand WA oat quality, functionality and the potential of novel oat-food concepts. Platforms for technical exchange, education and promotion of oats will be developed to raise awareness of quality, functionality and the health benefits of oats. 5. Demand for WA oats provides price stability for WA oat growers. Oat prices are highly sensitive to supply and demand. Expanding and diversifying export markets, especially into premium health-focused segments, will help reduce price volatility for WA growers.	AEGIC*	Underway

Project name

Objectives and outputs

Delivery partner(s)

Project status

An economic lens to capture increased market value for oats through industry innovation and better targeted industry investment - AEGIC* project 1

This project supports strategic investment in the WA oat industry by providing market insights to identify growth opportunities, reduce risk, and guide decision-making across both industry and government.

Project outcomes include:

Facilitated investment in WA’s oat industry

Market intelligence will be gathered on how oats are consumed and marketed internationally, and how these trends are expected to evolve over the next decade. This will enable WA breeders, processors, exporters, and oat food manufacturers to make better-informed strategic decisions based on overseas consumer preferences and demand patterns.

Increased support for DPIRD initiatives

Using updated state-wide economic models, the project will assess the broader economic impacts of expanding oat production and processing in WA. These findings will be communicated to key government agencies (e.g. Treasury and Finance) and stakeholders to build understanding and support for ongoing investment.

First-mover and branding advantages

The project will evaluate cost-effective value-adding initiatives—such as branding WA oats based on the state’s clean and green image or targeting niche market demands (e.g. no desiccation). These efforts aim to increase product value, secure market share, and strengthen the competitiveness of WA oats against overseas competitors.

Final reports are available here.

AEGIC*

Underway

Strengthening the WA oat classification system - AEGIC* project 2

The project aims to modernise WA’s oat classification system in response to growing demand from health-focused human food markets. It will ensure new oat varieties align with evolving processing needs and help manage genetic diversity to support consistent end-product quality across emerging uses.

The outcome will be:

1. Greater ability to capture high-value markets by consistently supplying oats that meet specific market requirements.

2. Improved functionality of Australian oats influences customer purchasing decisions and supports demand. Developing clear quality targets for premium milling oats will ensure product that meets market expectations.

3. Breeding targets are aligned with market requirements to support WA oats’ access and growth in new and expanding market segments. Understanding quality needs across the value chain will guide the development of varieties that match customer demands.

4. Growers and the oat industry capitalise on the forecasted growth in demand for premium milling oats.

5. Better-informed research and investment decisions.

AEGIC*

Underway

Novel innovation in oat processing and new product development: extracting greater value for WA oats - AEGIC* project 3

Oats have a strong and growing reputation as a health food, leveraging this presents a key opportunity to drive demand for WA oats.

The project outcome will be

1. New and innovative oat-based food concepts and value capture opportunities support demand for oats

Oats have strong global potential beyond traditional breakfast use. Growing consumer demand for healthy, innovative products presents value-adding opportunities for WA oat processors and will help drive demand for WA oats.

2. Demand for WA oats increases by expanding oat export markets in Southeast Asia and other markets. New product development will focus on Southeast Asian food preferences as well as new product development aimed at the health and sports nutrition market.

3. International and domestic commercialisation of novel oat foods is supported to drive demand for WA oats. Pathways for the oat industry to realise commercial and value add opportunities will be developed.

4. Customers better understand WA oat quality, functionality and the potential of novel oat-food concepts. Platforms for technical exchange, education and promotion of oats will be developed to raise awareness of quality, functionality and the health benefits of oats.

5. Demand for WA oats provides price stability for WA oat growers. Oat prices are highly sensitive to supply and demand. Expanding and diversifying export markets, especially into premium health-focused segments, will help reduce price volatility for WA growers.

AEGIC*

Underway

* AEGIC (now Grains Australia)

Supply Chain

Development of new export market opportunities to capture a greater share of growing international demand for oat products

Project name	Objectives and outputs	Delivery partner(s)	Project status
11th International Oat Conference in Perth, October 2022	The 11th International Oat Conference successfully showcased health trends in oats, global farming systems, oat innovation, breeding and genetics, and global oat markets to an engaged global audience. Held in Perth, WA in October 2022, the 11th International Oat Conference was hosted by GIWA and included an oat field day in York and two day Conference Program.	GIWA	Completed
OAT2026 - International Study Tour	The Processed Oat Partnership (the POP) international study tour will provide Western Australian oat industry stakeholders with an immersive and interactive capability building experience; broadening their understanding on global oat production trends and opportunities and gaining insights on successful international oat market development. The international study tour will centre around the 2026 International Oat Conference (OAT2026) in Pucón, Chile, from November 17-22, 2026. A strong WA contingent including growers, researchers, plant breeders, accumulators, traders, processors and manufacturers is expected to attend OAT2026. The POP is offering up to ten travel bursaries to assist WA oat industry stakeholders to travel to Chile, attend OAT2026 and participate in any additional pre- or post-conference oat-focused side events arranged by GIWA. A POP-appointed Selection Panel will review EOI submissions and acceptances will be confirmed by June 2026.	GIWA	Underway
Industry grants	The POP have strategically invested in a number of industry grants to oat processors and value add businesses. The grants will encourage innovation, create additional industry capacity and capability and support growth in processing of oat and oat products in WA.	GIWA and DPIRD	Underway
Nuffield Scholarship: research scholarships that benefit WA’s milling oat industry	With the support of GIWA, the POP sponsored two Nuffield scholarship focused on oats, however, only one scholarship was taken up. The scholarship targeted those involved in growing, agronomy, breeding, processing or marketing of WA oats and aims at advancing oat processing opportunities in WA, with a focus on research that benefits the state’s milling oat industry. Research through the scholarship focuses on innovative solutions and opportunities to grow the scale and value of oat processing in the state, including through oat food and beverage manufacture and value adding to oat processing by-products. WA oat grower Ms Shannen Barrett was the recipient of the oat-focused Nuffield Scholarship. Read about Shannen's experience here.	GIWA	Completed

As projects are completed project summaries will be included here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the State Government’s investment in the POP and the WA oat industry?

There is growing demand for both raw and processed oat products, particularly in South-East Asia, North Asia and India. Western Australia is the largest producer of oats in Australia, putting the State in an advantageous position to capitalise on these growth opportunities. Investment in the POP supports the State Government’s priorities of creating more regional and metro jobs, economic diversification and more WA-based food manufacturing using local produce.

How long will the POP run for?

The POP started in the 2021/22 financial year and will run until June 2026. Some projects will continue beyond the POP end date.

Who manages the POP?

The POP is managed by a Steering Committee which has representatives from across the oat supply chain including processing, grain production, breeding, market intelligence and product innovation, and State Government.

Currently, the POP Steering Committee is led by an independent industry Chair and includes representatives from:

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)
GIWA Oat Council
Grains Australia
InterGrain
Unigrain

Was industry consulted during the development of the POP?

Yes. GIWA and DPIRD consulted closely with oat growers, processors, breeders, researchers and relevant State and Federal Government stakeholders to develop a business case for the POP. The program is now managed by a Steering Committee which has representatives from across the oat industry value chain – breeding, DPIRD research and development, grain production, processing, market intelligence and product innovation, and GIWA – ensuring ongoing industry engagement.

What is GIWA’s involvement?

The Grain Industry Association of WA (GIWA), through the GIWA Oat Council, is the lead program partner and advisor, providing a communications portal between stakeholders. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is the lead State Government agency for the program.