AAC Blake

Oat

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'AC Morgan' and 'AC Dieter'

Summary: At booting, the plants of 'AAC Blake' have weak glaucosity whereas those of 'AC Morgan' have medium glaucosity. The plants of 'AAC Blake' have a low frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves whereas those of 'AC Dieter' have a medium frequency. The attitude of the panicle branches of 'AAC Blake' is semi-erect whereas that of 'AC Dieter' is horizontal. The lemmas of 'AAC Blake' have a medium tendency to be awned whereas it is absent or very weak for 'AC Dieter'. 'AAC Blake' has a heavier thousand kernel weight than 'AC Morgan'.

Description:

PLANT: spring hulled type, erect to semi-erect juvenile growth habit, absent to very sparse pubescence on lower leaf sheath and blade, low frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves

STEM: absent to very sparse pubescence above and below the upper culm node

LEAF: medium green, absent to very sparse pubescence of margin, weak glaucosity

PANICLE: equilateral/symmetrical orientation of branches, medium density, semi-erect attitude of branches, less than 30 degree angle between dominant side branch and rachis, few short hairs or spines on lowest node
GLUME: weak glaucosity
SPIKELET: semi-abscission separation, nodding, 2 grains
RACHILLA: medium length between primary and secondary floret, absent or very short length of grooves, sparse pubescence
LEMMA: medium glaucosity, small extent of lateral overlap on palea, white to yellow at maturity, absent to very sparse pubescence on lateral and dorsal surface, medium tendency to be awned

KERNEL: basal hairs absent, cream coloured
GROAT: medium to dense pubescence
SCUTELLUM: rounded tip, medium size

AGRONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS: fair resistance to lodging
DISEASE REACTIONS: moderately resistant to Crown rust (Puccinia coronata)

Origin & Breeding History: 'AAC Blake' (experimental designation OA1347-2) arose from the cross 'Morgan' (female parent) by '07776-1-9-3-2' (male parent) conducted at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Ottawa Research Centre, Ottawa, Ontario in March of 2003. It was selected using the pedigree method up to the F6 and was tested as 08839-5-2-2-6-1 in 2009. In 2010, it was tested in the Ottawa Research and Development Centre Home Test, advanced to the preliminary tests as OA1347-2 in 2011 and further tested in the Ottawa Research and Development Centre oat registration trials from 2012 to 2014. Selection criteria included yield, good groat percentage, disease resistance and good standability.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trials for 'AAC Blake' were conducted during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa Research and Development Centre at the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ontario. The plots consisted of 4 replicates per variety consisting of 4 rows measuring 3.6 metres long with a row spacing of 23 cm. The mean differences are significant at the 5% probability level based on a paired student's T-test.

Comparison table for 'AAC Blake' with reference varieties 'AC Morgan' and 'AC Dieter'

Kernel weight (grams / 1000 kernels)

Click on image for larger view

Oat: 'AAC Blake' (top) with reference variety 'AC Dieter' (bottom)

Click on image for larger view

Oat: 'AAC Blake' (top) with reference variety 'AC Morgan' (bottom)

Click on image for larger view

Oat: 'AAC Blake' (left) with reference varieties 'AC Morgan' (centre) and 'AC Dieter' (right)