A new variety of milling oat is set to find favour and flavour with grain growers and consumers alike, with a solid suite of agronomic and end-use traits.
The Yallara variety, developed by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) with funding from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), is being hailed not only for its improved, creamy taste but also for its ability to beat crop disease.
John Pitcher of Uncle Toby’s said that as well as meeting the company’s strict standards for flavour and appearance to assure market success, Yallara offered high milling yields, substantially reducing milling costs for processers.
Yallara is resistant to leaf and stem rust diseases, which can cut oat yields by between 40 and 100pc in seasons when these diseases are prevalent.
This fact, combined with the appealing creamy taste achieved by SARDI researchers, positions Yallara as an exciting new variety that has the potential to reap significant returns for growers.
The new cultivar has won a tick of approval from key end users, such as Uncle Toby’s for its qualities as a porridge oat.
Chair of GRDC’s Southern Regional Panel, David Shannon, said the launch of the Yallara variety was a prime example of what the Australian grains industry could achieve through targeted investment in research and development.
“With support from growers and the Australian Government, the GRDC is committed to advancing the nation’s grains industry and the wider community, and the launch of Yallara is very much representative of that commitment.”
The Yallara variety has ticked the boxes for flavour and appearance with sensory testing at Uncle Toby’s showing it fits the bill for producing a smooth and creamy porridge, with a pleasant texture during eating.
Milling oats have drifted somewhat out of favour with many southern Australian producers in recent years, with growers either going for a grazing oat or for higher value barley lines, however this may change if current consumer demand continues to grow.
According to Uncle Toby’s, oats are the fastest-growing segment in the Australian breakfast food market, used in 60pc of households and growing at 2pc, or 75,000 households per year.
Unlike wheat and rye, the processed grain retains high levels of beta glucan, a soluble fibre, which helps the body to reduce cholesterol reabsorption.
SARDI’s Pamela Zwer said that 12 years ago after a global search, the SARDI oats breeding team sourced lines of oats offering stem and leaf rust resistance from North Dakota and backcrossed them with existing milling variety Euro to produce Yallara.
“It produces bright grain of high digestibility and is recommended as a replacement for Euro in those areas where stem and leaf rust limit yield,” Dr Zwer said.
Email a friend