An international research team of more than 70 scientists from 33 research institutions in 10 countries has successfully decoded the pangenome of oats, marking a significant breakthrough in understanding one of the world’s most genetically complex cereals.
The findings, published in Nature, offer unprecedented insights into oat genetic diversity in Australia and abroad, identifying key traits responsible for oat yield, plant health, and environmental adaptability.
The Western Crop Genetics Alliance (WCGA) – a partnership between Murdoch University and the Western Australian Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development (DPIRD) – played a critical role in the research, delivering the genome sequencing of four oat genomes, including Australian oat varieties Bannister, Bilby, and Williams.
Oats are widely recognised for their health benefits, including high fibre content, cholesterol-lowering properties, and gluten-free characteristics.
However, its complex genetic structure, which features six sets of chromosomes derived from three different ancestral species, has made oat an especially challenging crop for researchers to analyse.
Led by researchers from the IPK Leibniz Institute, the research team sequenced and analysed 33 oat lines which included both cultivated varieties and their wild relatives.
Using state-of-the-art sequencing technologies, the team examined the gene expression patterns in six tissues and the developmental stages of 23 of the oat lines, resulting in a pantranscriptome, a comprehensive map of which genes are active in different parts of the plant.
Led by WCGA director and Murdoch University’s Centre for Crop and Food Innovation research theme leader Professor Chengdao Li, the Australian team revealed the genomic composition of the Australian oat and uncovered the genomic mechanism for oat adaptation to Australia’s unique environment.
The study also uncovered several unexpected features of oat genetics.
Despite significant gene loss in one of the three subgenomes, oat plants remain highly productive because other gene copies compensate for the missing functions.
The team also found structural rearrangements in the genome, including inversions and translocations, are associated with environmental adaptation and may have played a crucial role in oat domestication and the formation of reproductive barriers between populations.
Professor Li says this research sees the international oat research community come together to crack a particularly challenging genetic puzzle, transforming oats from a genetic ‘black box’ into a blueprint that will enable precision breeding for a healthier, more sustainable food future.
“In an Australian context, the discovery of specific genetic signatures for adaptation, such as the 2A/2C gene translocation in Australian oats, shows how crops naturally evolve to suit different environments,” he says.
“With this knowledge, we can help Australian breeders select or develop varieties optimised for specific regions, and speed up the development of improved, more resilient oat varieties.”
DPIRD broadacre systems executive director Dr Kaara Klepper says the decoded oat pangenome epitomises how modern genomics research is stimulating leaps in crop breeding, agricultural production and human health by providing novel genetic resources to underpin new varieties with improved yields, better environmental adaptation and enhanced nutrition.
“DPIRD and Murdoch University scientists with the Western Crop Genetics Alliance have made an important contribution to this global research, which applied locally will help WA growers produce high performance, resilient crops suited to a changing climate – boosting sustainability and profitability,” she says.
