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New Heart-Healthy Oat Variety Developed

John Mochon (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

John Mochon (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Agricultural researchers at University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a new kind of oat grain with greater amounts of a compound that can lower the amount of the harmful cholesterol in humans. BetaGene, as the new variety is called, is a product of a 14-year project in the Small Grains Breeding Program in UW-Madison’s agronomy department.

John Mochon, manager of the small grains program (pictured right), says BetaGene is “both a high yielding variety and high in beta glucan.” Beta glucan, Mochon adds, “is a heart-healthy chemical that is exclusive to oats.”

BetaGene has two percent more beta glucan on average than other oat varieties on the market. From a nutrition standpoint, a two percent increase of beta glucan in the grain results in a 20-percent boost in beta glucan levels in products made from that grain.

Beta glucan is believed to act like a sponge that traps cholesterol-rich acids in the bloodstream. The university cites a USDA/Agricultural Research Service report that says consuming 3 grams daily of this soluble fiber — combined with a healthy diet — may lower the blood’s level of low density lipoprotein (LDL), the so-called bad cholesterol, lessening the risk of coronary heart disease.

BetaGene was developed through standard crop breeding methods, not genetic engineering, which took 14 years to develop the variety. Wisconsin agronomists performed the original cross-breeding in 1998. Mochon says it takes 12 to 15 years to prove an experimental crop variety can yield well, fend off disease, and have a track record for success before being considered for release.

The growing of oats in the U.S. and Wisconsin has fallen in recent years due to better returns from other crops and other market forces that have made oats less attractive to farmers. “That’s why I’m trying to add value to oats,” says Mochon. “Things like increased beta glucan, developing forage lines, developing lines that are rust resistant, and developing lines that have a high groat percentage are all part of this effort.”

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2 comments to New Heart-Healthy Oat Variety Developed

  • susan

    This sounds amazing! And it is testament to the fact that hard work yields good results. I hope this department can continue its good research.

  • Thanks Susan for your comment and visiting Science Business. It is indeed amazing. Until I read the report, I was not aware of the long time needed to develop a new variety through traditional cross-breeding.