Nutritional and yield potential of oat (Avena sativa L.) genotypes in dual-purpose crop system

Dual-purpose crops can alleviate the feed gap to integrate crop and livestock systems when forage deficit is severe. However, there is limited information about type of dual-purpose management and cereal species that would be most optimal for both forage and grain production. A study was conducted on twenty oat (Avena sativa L.) genotypes to evaluate the nutritional constituents, antinutritional factors and yield with an aim to identify the superior dual-purpose oat genotypes. In oat fodder, average content of crude protein, crude fibre, total soluble sugars was 11.5%, 21.7%, 25.0 mg g−1, respectively. In oat grain, average content of crude protein, ether extract, β-glucan, total soluble sugars and starch was found to be 11.3%, 4.66%, 16.0 mg g−1, 8.1 mg g−1, 568 mg g−1. The OL-1871, OL-1802 and OL-1708 genotype exhibited maximum crude protein content in both grain and fodder. Among all genotypes, OL-1905, OL-1906, OL-1907 had low tannins, phytic acid and saponin content in both grain and fodder. Principal component analysis showed that first two principal components exhibited 44.3% of the total genotypic variability. Cluster analysis revealed that genotypes OL-1901, OL-1907, OL-1908, OL-1708, OL-1802 are nutritionally important as these possessed high crude protein and carbohydrates content. These genotypes also possessed good fodder yield and seed yield. These genotypes can be utilized in the breeding programme to develop nutritionally important genotypes coupled with high yield traits.