New High Yielding Oat Boosts market value

University of Minnesota Unveils MN Amber Oat Variety

The University of Minnesota has announced the release of MN Amber a new yellow hulled oat variety designed to support food grade oat production across the United States. The variety offers strong yield performance combined with high grain quality traits valued by processors and growers. 

MN Amber delivers high test weight grain protein and beta glucan content, making it suitable for food and nutrition focused markets. It also provides moderate resistance to crown rust and excellent resistance to smut helping protect crops from yield and quality losses. 

This release represents a major step forward for the University of Minnesota oat breeding program which was restarted in 2015. While MN Pearl released in 2019 resulted from a collaborative effort with Canadian researchers MN Amber is the first variety fully developed through the renewed Minnesota program. 

Before being named MN Amber, the variety was tested under the experimental line MN19114X 012. It was created from a cross between the Hayden variety and an advanced breeding line in 2018. The variety entered yield trials in 2020 and has since been evaluated across multiple environments. 

Trial results show that MN Amber delivers higher yields of test weight and grain protein compared to MN Pearl. It is also shorter with slightly stronger straw improving standability and harvest efficiency, which are important traits for producers. 

Oat varieties often perform best in specific regions, and MN Amber shows strong adaptation to southern growing areas. Based on multiyear trials, MN Amber yields three percent higher statewide and up to twelve percent higher in southern production zones. 

MN Amber competes well with leading food grade oat varieties currently grown in the United States. It ranks among the top for test weight and grain protein and is well positioned for national food supply chains. 

The University of Minnesota has supported oat research since 1889 with funding from public and private partners helping advance crop innovation nationwide. 

Photo Credit: istock-rustic