A New Early-Heading and High-Yielding Forage Oat Cultivar, “Darkhorse”

A new oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar ‘Darkhorse’ was developed by Honam Agricultural Research Institute (HARI) in 2005. It was released because of its earliness, high forage yield potential and adaptability for late summer sowing. It was developed from the artificial cross between ‘SPRINTER’ and ‘73625’ made in 1995. Subsequent generations were handled in pedigree breeding method. The line, ‘SO95036-B-86-8-3-2’, was selected for earliness and good agronomic characteristics and designated as ‘Gwiri43’ and finally named as ‘Darkhose’. Over 3 years of regional yield trials, ‘Darkhorse’ averaged 6.1 MT/ha in forage production as dry matter when sowed in mid August and harvested in early November. It was superior to the check variety, ‘Swan’, with an 31% of yield increase. Heading date was October 25 which was 4 days earlier than that of ‘Swan’. ‘Darkhorse’ would be recommend as a summer-sowing oat for producing forage just before winter in Korea.