Processed Oat Partnership (POP)

Average yield losses from Septoria in WA oat crops in the high rainfall zone are approximately 15% and result in significant economic loss. No current WA oat varieties have resistance to the disease. This project aims to reduce this loss by accelerating breeding to improve disease resistance in oat varieties. Through the project researchers will:

Investigate variation in virulence and frequency of P. avenae isolates across regional sites of WA.

Identify novel sources of resistance and provide breeders with resistant germplasm and selection tools to support breeding.

By 2025, oat breeders will have a better understanding of the pathogen diversity of Septoria blotch and have access to novel sources and molecular tools of durable resistance to Septoria blotch to breed new oat varieties to best match oat phenology in WA.

By 2035, growers in WA will benefit from commercial oat varieties with increased resistance to Septoria blotch and optimised phenology for oat production regions that will minimise yield loss due to the disease.

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.

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.

The project will strengthen the organic oat industry's ability to consistently meet growing demand from domestic and international buyers, helping to boost end-user confidence in WA organic oats.

The key currently limiting supply and contributing to year to-year variability is the lack of knowledge about the benefits of earlier sowing and the adoption of varieties better suited to organic farming systems.

To address this the project will evaluate and compare the performance of 24 varieties through field trials conducted at two different sowing times across three organic farms within WA.

The outcome will be the identification of oat varieties are deliver the greatest profitability – measured by grain yield and receival quality – for organic oat growers in the state.

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.

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.

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. 

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.