Abstract

Oat production in Chile is located mostly in the southern part of the country, being “La Araucanía” region the leader of oat food processing. Oat grain is the mayor agricultural exported product in this region whose grain production has helped Chile to become the fourth oat-food world exporter. Since 1965, oat breeding has focused on food industry and agriculture related traits. During this ~50 years period, the Chilean Agricultural Research Institute (INIA) has delivered 15 oat cultivars using several genetic strategies; and generated a prolific germplasm exchange collaboration with different countries and/or Institutions, such as Quaker International Oats Nursery-QION (from 1975) and the USDA International Oat Rust Nursery-IORN (until 1985). Supernova INIA is our latest released cultivar and possesses high yielding genetic potential (14 t ha-1), and industrial (70% groat) and physical grain quality. Its improved industrial and yielding traits have make them the most used oat in Chile, covering ~80% of the Chilean cropping area. Our current challenges focus on making Chilean oats a suitable product for both, agriculture and healthy food markets, adapted to climatic challenges, and to an environmentally friendly agriculture. To achieve these challenges, several genetic strategies are being used, together with multi-environment agronomic field evaluations. Acknowledgments: Quaker Oats, Agriaquaculture Nutritional Genomic Center (CGNA), “Alimentos El Globo S.A.” Company, “Corporación de Fomento de la Producción” – CORFO (INNOVA 12IDL2-13628).