Oat Research Appropriations
Background
Basic research in oats has not kept pace with
research in other crops. As a consequence, oat
production has become less economically viable
relative to other production options
Concerns
- Oats give growers another production option and are environmentally sustainable.
- The U.S. doesn't grow enough oats to satisfy demand. The US is forced to import as much as 90 percent of its usage, as much as 100 million bu/year.
- Oat production is the lowest on record (since 1865).
- Growers must have oat varieties that compete in the market.
- All oat research in U.S. is publicly funded. Without needed research, progress in oat improvement will be slow. U.S. oat production will continue to decline, increasing our reliance on foreign sources of a basic food commodity.
Funding Initiatives to Sustain Oat Research and Production:
Funding is needed to help meet program objectives in the areas of molecular genetics and plant improvement. Identifying and understanding the oat genome is the core to successful long-term oat research. Without these advances, oats will fall farther and farther behind other crops despite its key role in healthy diets. Read more . . .
Cereal Rust Disease Initiative:
Highly virulent and aggressive new races of stem, leaf, and stripe rust have appeared in the world, which now threaten the entire US production of wheat, barley, and oats. An increase of $5,000,000 is needed in FY10 to fund the Cereal Rust Disease Initiative. The Initiative is to be administered by USDA-ARS to support cooperative cereal rust research efforts by ARS and Land-Grant university scientists throughout the US. Read more . . .
USDA-ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit:
More nutritious, health-promoting oats and barley are goals of scientists at the USDA-ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit (CCRU). Researchers are identifying and studying antioxidant chemicals in oats and barley that may play a role in protecting humans from degenerative diseases such as heart disease and certain cancers. Additional support is needed to ensure that there is enough funding to support the research efforts. Read more . . .
last updated February 6, 2009
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