Screening of agronomic and qualitative physical and chemical traits of 83 naked oats strains

Naked oats (Avena nuda) are a key cereal crop that are valued for their high nutritional content and desirable agronomic traits. In this study, 80 developed strains and three bred varieties were evaluated in Kelan County, Shanxi Province, China, from 2022 to 2023. Six agronomic, eight physical, and five chemical traits were assessed. Significant phenotypic variations were observed across the 83 strains, with marked improvements in agronomic traits in 2023, particularly in grain shape, thousand grain weight, and spike length. The grain shape showed the most substantial improvement, whereas the thousand grain weight remained relatively stable. Cluster analysis identified three agronomic groups, with Group III comprising high-yield, stable strains, such as YM49. Regarding the physical traits, a general reduction in grain size and fullness was observed in 2023, with hardness exhibiting the greatest variation. Principal component analysis classified the strains into three morphological groups, with YM23 representing a large-grain, soft-textured type. Chemical quality traits indicated an increase in β-glucan and water content in 2023, whereas fat content decreased while exhibiting high variability. Nutritional profiling clustered the strains into three groups, with YM39 leading in protein, β-glucan, and fat content. Correlation analysis across the selected 19 traits highlighted the key tradeoffs between grain morphology, yield, and nutritional quality. Effective tillering was identified as a crucial trait that influences the overall performance. Strain YM49 demonstrated a consistent high-ranking performance across multiple traits, indicating its potential for breeding high-quality oats with high yields.