Historical Development of Oats

Oats is thought to be of Mediterranean origin. It is a member of the genus Avena, which comprises approximately seventy species. Some of these are cultivated with Avena sativa L (White Oat) and Avena byzantina K.(Red oat), which are the main oats grown for fodder and grain.

Avena sativa L. is the most common cultivated oat species in Europe. Its share of all the production is about 90% with A. byzantina accounting for most of the remaining 10%.They are hexaploids and modern cultivars may contain genetic material from both species. 

Avena strigosa, or black oat, is a diploid and has become very important in subtropical and temperate situations as a winter cover crop and for forage. Traditionally oats has been viewed as a minor crop for poor soils and harsh climates, with the crop being centred in parts of Eastern Europe, Wales and Scotland.

Oats are well suited for use as cover or break crops in winter rotations since they are not susceptible to the major root disease ‘Take-all’ unlike wheat and barley; they have a high reputation for weed control, partly due to their high biomass production, but this may be enhanced by allelopathy.

Several species also have so called naked cultivars. Commercially cultivated naked oat varieties belong to the Avena sativa species. The diploid Avena. strigosa is hulled, but also has a naked type. There is also a diploid naked oat, Avena nuda, but it is not commonly cultivated. Naked oats are a minor crop, grown mainly at high altitudes in China. There has been increasing interest in the crop as the hull-free grain has a higher energy concentration than common oats.