The increased use of oat grains as human food has stimulated plant breeders to select genotypes with high grain quality. This work aimed to identify and characterize genetic variability for total grain protein in cultivated oat and introductions of A. fatua L., A. sterilis L. and hybrid populations from A. sativa L. x A. sterilis L.. The results showed a large genetic variability for the trait in the studied groups. Differences among cultivated oat genotypes may be attributed to different genetic constitution. A. sterilis L. group showed high protein content specially with the introduction of I-325. Genotypes from A. fatua L. showed similar low levels of protein probably because the narrow range of regions sampled in this study. Some hybrids from A. sativa L. x A. sterilis L. showed high protein content and acceptable agronomic traits.
protein; hexaploid oat; plant breeding
