Organic and Conventional Oat Quality

Abstract: Cereals are used in the both animal and human nutrition (Menkovska, 2003). The objective of this paper was to make a comparative analysis on the oat quality which was grown in organically and conventional conditions, as well as to investigate the influence of the cultivar, growing and climate conditions, and the production conditions on the oat quality. Three oat cultivars and five oat populations were grown on the experimental field of the Institute for Southern Crops in Strumica, R. of Macedonia, during a three-year period (2005-2007). In this paper the physical properties of the oat kernel were analyzed: test weight and the absolute weight. Standard method for analysis of the physical properties of cereals were applied. Comparing the both production systems in regard to the oat kernel physical quality properties, it was concluded that the absolute weight is a cultivar property. Greater variability in the test weight values has been shown among the cultivars and production years than between the farming methods. In the condition of the same applied farming measures, and the use of the same genotypes, great influence on the appearing difference in the average oat test weight during the whole production period had the climate conditions.

Reference: Spasova, D., and Menkovska, M. (2009). Comparative analysis of oat quality grown in organic and conventional conditions. Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry 25(5/6): 1163-1170.