Scotland: National Rural Network
Connecting Rural Scotland - Promoting Rural Growth

Maria Scholten and Stephen Carter report on a small oat trial taking place on Benbecula this year.

The Idea

When the New National Crofting Course was launched at Sgoil Lionacleit on Benbecula last December,  SAC based researcher Maria Scholten decided to relocate her field trial planned for 2009. Instead of an Edinburgh site, Benbecula seemed more appropriate to study the diversity of small oat.  Crofter-instuctor Neil MacPherson and teacher Stephen Carter were enthusiastic about this idea.

Bringing the trial to the school offers students living material growing through the different stages from seeding, to heading, to maturity. The students would be able to observe small and common oat growing beside one another and be able to learn about research trials, genebank work and about landraces such as the Uist small oat. 

Crofters have maintained the Uist corn over centuries and young, aspiring crofters now have the chance to study it in its diversity.

The Seeds

Funding was sourced from SAC Trust Fund, tallies and tapes were provided by SASA.  Seed was sourced on the Uists, Tiree and Orkney from previous years.  Shetland ait was sent from the Burland croft on Trondra.  For comparison seed was obtained from genebanks in former small oat growing areas such as Denmark, Germany and Ireland.  Five Canadian big feed oat varieties were kindly provided by the Crop Development Center in Saskatoon. These big oats can stand the high alkalinity of the Canadian prairies, which is even higher than the Uist machair. 

The Start

The plot had been fertilized with seaweed, spread out by students. The trial work started the first of May with the laying out of 32 square plots, raking the seedbeds and seeding was done by hand.

First Results

A good two months into the trial, differences have become visible. The Uist small oat spreads out and stays close to the soil while the common oats, the Irish and Welsh small oats grow straight and stand taller.  The Canadian common oats are doing well while the Welsh small oat cross grows very vigorously, perhaps due to hybrid vigour.  Two ringed plovers and an unknown number of rabbits have also discovered the plots.

 The Back Up

Most genebanks organise safety duplication. Space for a safety back-up of the Benbecula trial  has been generously provided by Mr. Murdo MacKenzie in his new Keder greenhouse in Snishival, South Uist.

 Events at the trial

Visits are planned on Saturday the 11 and 18 July at 2.00 pm at the Lews Castle College in Lionacleit, with an illustrated introduction about genebank work, Scottish landraces and machair crofting, followed at 2.30 pm by a visit to the trial site.  We can also have a look at the wild plants and arable weed diversity on Lionacleit machair. 

Location

The trial site is open to every one - no dogs please.  It is accessible by car, situated approximately 500 yards, along the track on Lionacleit machair closest to the HIE off the B892, Lionacleit, Benbecula.  An overview of the plots will be available on site.

Information

Crofting course at Sgoil Lionacleit and the photographs in this reportage: Stephen Carter sjcarter8@btinternet.com or www.stephencarterphotography.co.uk

Trial, landraces and seed availability, genebank conservation:  Maria Scholten at 07746671984 or maria_scholten@hotmail.com

We would like to hear your comments!

Copyright: The pictures in this reportage are copyright www.stephencarterphotography.co.uk