Oats have been a consistent performer for growers over the past number of years; even in the difficult weather they have yielded well and consistently. It is no surprise then that the total area has increased by about 3,800ha since 2024. In 2025, almost 17,800ha of winter oats were planted and 15,800ha of spring oats were planted.
Seedtech Open Day 2025.
Growing markets for Irish porridge, organic porridge, oat drinks and oat flour are all making oats a more attractive crop to grow and the Straw Incorporation Measure only adds to that attractiveness as a market for straw was an issue previously.
Husky, WPB Enya and WPB Isabel remain the main varieties in both winter and spring oats.
There are four candidates to make it onto the winter oats recommended list at present. WPB Enya was provisionally recommended this year and takes up 30% of the seed area. There are three candidate varieties. They include KWS Titant, RGT Dempsey and Scotty.
WPB Isabel Spring Oat at the Goldcrop Arable Crops Open Day in Dunleer, Co Louth. \Justin Lynch
KWS Titant was provisionally recommended on the spring oat list in 2025 and takes up 1% of the spring oat seed area this year. It has a good KPH.
RGT Dempsey was reported to have a KPH of 58.3 by the Department of Agriculture and is a later heading variety than others in trials. It was reported to be the only true winter oat variety in trials.
WPB Enya Spring Oats at the Goldcrop Arable Crops open days on the farm of John Dunne, Shanagarry, Co Cork. \ Donal O'Leary
There are a number of promising varieties in trial, including Merlin, Asterion (winter trials only) and Timpani. Timpani looked like a very tidy variety. It was clean and not too tall in trials. It has a distinct green colour. In spring trials, Timpani hit a relative yield score of 108.
Eleanor O’Gorman from the Department of Agriculture strongly advised that spring oat varieties sown in the winter should not be planted until at least the middle of October to reduce disease levels.
The Department sowed the trials in Backweston Farm, which were on display at their open day, on 29 October.
In total there are 11 varieties in the Department’s winter oat variety trials this year and 13 in the spring oat trials.
See Figures 1 and 2 for the areas of varieties in seed production for winter and spring oats for the 2026 season.
Oats have been a consistent performer for growers over the past number of years; even in the difficult weather they have yielded well and consistently. It is no surprise then that the total area has increased by about 3,800ha since 2024. In 2025, almost 17,800ha of winter oats were planted and 15,800ha of spring oats were planted.
Seedtech Open Day 2025.
Growing markets for Irish porridge, organic porridge, oat drinks and oat flour are all making oats a more attractive crop to grow and the Straw Incorporation Measure only adds to that attractiveness as a market for straw was an issue previously.
Husky, WPB Enya and WPB Isabel remain the main varieties in both winter and spring oats.
There are four candidates to make it onto the winter oats recommended list at present. WPB Enya was provisionally recommended this year and takes up 30% of the seed area. There are three candidate varieties. They include KWS Titant, RGT Dempsey and Scotty.
WPB Isabel Spring Oat at the Goldcrop Arable Crops Open Day in Dunleer, Co Louth. \Justin Lynch
KWS Titant was provisionally recommended on the spring oat list in 2025 and takes up 1% of the spring oat seed area this year. It has a good KPH.
RGT Dempsey was reported to have a KPH of 58.3 by the Department of Agriculture and is a later heading variety than others in trials. It was reported to be the only true winter oat variety in trials.
WPB Enya Spring Oats at the Goldcrop Arable Crops open days on the farm of John Dunne, Shanagarry, Co Cork. \ Donal O'Leary
There are a number of promising varieties in trial, including Merlin, Asterion (winter trials only) and Timpani. Timpani looked like a very tidy variety. It was clean and not too tall in trials. It has a distinct green colour. In spring trials, Timpani hit a relative yield score of 108.
Eleanor O’Gorman from the Department of Agriculture strongly advised that spring oat varieties sown in the winter should not be planted until at least the middle of October to reduce disease levels.
The Department sowed the trials in Backweston Farm, which were on display at their open day, on 29 October.
In total there are 11 varieties in the Department’s winter oat variety trials this year and 13 in the spring oat trials.
See Figures 1 and 2 for the areas of varieties in seed production for winter and spring oats for the 2026 season.
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