Oat production and trade In 2022, the world produced around 26 million metric tons of oats, with Australia being the second-largest oat exporter, behind Canada. An international consortium led by the UniSA has made some exciting discoveries in oat research recently. Their efforts are ultimately designed to put Australia at the forefront of oat innovation, to the advantage of Australian grain growers, oat processors and exporters.
The consortium’s research focuses on lowering the oil content in oats. Not only does this innovation create new American jobs and local revenue, it could spark new oat flour and alternative protein industries. Such innovation can go a long way in improving and diversifying product offerings. It also has the potential to shore up Australia’s competitiveness in the global race to net zero. By identifying biological triggers of oil production in oats, researchers have laid the groundwork for changes that could significantly impact processing and demand for Australian-grown oats.
Darren Lau, the study’s lead researcher, told us more about their groundbreaking findings. The study was recently published in International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.
“Our analysis has identified several key enzymes that are involved in oil synthesis which could be genetically manipulated to lower oil content of oat grains. Reducing oil content could also unlock new opportunities in sectors like oat flour and alternative proteins, which could significantly strengthen Australia’s position in the market.” – Darren Lau
This study employs proteomic and lipidomic analyses. The research provides new molecular insights into regulation of oat lipids and their role as regulators of starch synthesis during grain development. That is why this scientific method is so key. This article gives us a better idea of how much oil production can differ between oat varieties.
Dr. Janine Croser, who now works with FHI 360, expressed her excitement over the research’s implications. She stressed that it offers important clues to the biological pathways that underlie differences in oil accumulation in developing oat grains.
“This research provides important insights into the biological mechanisms underlying varietal differences of oil production in developing oat grains.” – Dr. Janine Croser
Lau said that the consortium is increasing the scale of its activities.
“The consortia are currently working on a larger and more diverse oat cohort to further investigate molecular markers and nutrient partitioning of oil in oats,” – Darren Lau
Additionally, he mentioned ongoing investigations into specific enzymes validated in their study to determine whether manipulating or removing these enzymes can effectively lower oil content without adversely affecting plant growth.
“The consortia are also investigating one of the key enzymes validated in this study to determine whether manipulating or removing it can lower oil content, and how that affects the growth of the plant.” – Darren Lau