In reviewing “Development of High-Vigour Oat Varieties in Australia”, I considered that it was a very full and well documented account of oat breeding and testing in New South Wales in the latter half of the twentieth century. In correspondence with a research agronomist, who also runs a property in Northern NSW, she stated “---- Blackbutt (bred by the Author, P. M. Guerin) has stayed a very strong variety for a very long time. The quality of the breeding is reflected in its longevity as a preferred variety---”. I think that everyone interested in the oat crop whether researcher, advisory officer, producer or plant breeder should read, study and learn from this important book.

Professor Haydn Lloyd-Davies
Former Professor of Pastoral Science in the School of Wool and Pastoral Science,
University of New SouthWales
Past President of the Australian Society for Animal Production (NSW Branch)
& Author of “Animal Production”

This book discusses the evolution of oats as a crop in Australia, emphasising its versatility and value to farmers and to the agricultural sector. In particular, it sets out the importance of dual-purpose oat varieties in Australian agriculture, which are of significant value to this day. As the prime lamb industry in Australia continues to expand, and in a sense is about to “take-off”, dual-purpose oat varieties will play a significant part in the expansion of this industry.

This is a book that had to be written. I believe the book illustrates clearly what a visionary the Author was in developing the oat varieties and lines he did.

Norm Markham
Former District Agronomist (25 years),
New South Wales Department of Primary Industries
(formerly NSW Department of Agricutlure),
& Independent Agricultural Consultant currently based in West Wyalong, NSW, Australia

Reading Patrick Guerin’s book reminded me of times, as a research agronomist on the Southern Tablelands. There I conducted numerous experiments on the effects of winter grazing of cereals and other crops, on vegetative yield, animal production and subsequent grain yields. This work was published in the Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, its predecessor and elsewhere. Guerin’s variety Blackbutt was always the stand-out crop for maximum combined forage and grain production, particularly in the severe winter environment of the Tablelands”

Congratulations, Paddy, on an important publication.

Paul Dann
Former Research Agronomist, NSW Agriculture

Having witnessed oats being successfully grazed on a family property at Lyndhurst in Central West NSW, and having already been convinced of the health benefits of oats as a human breakfast staple, it was a great pleasure for me to study each absorbing, and very readable chapter. Without closing the door on gene technology as a way forward, his highlighting of the challenges, Patrick is convincing in his support of the Isolection Medelian plant breeding system.

Bob Fozzard, Sydney, Australia
Member of the Australian Institue of Agricultural Science and Technology

I started growing Carbeen at our property in mid 1980’s. We like to start sowing in February. We often have a dry March – April and on these occasions, other varieties will run to head, whereas Carbeen doesn’t and it recovers well. With the quantity of leaf material and its prostrate growth, our sheep can keep grazing for a longer time compared to erect growing oat varieties. If Carbeen is eaten out early, its recovery is good. When we grow Carbeen for grain, then a sowing rate of 30 kg/ha will yield up to 2.9 t/ha, and that is under continuous grazing”.

Carbeen is a variety well suited for growing in the Tamworth region of New South Wales.

John McQueen
“Colindale”, Loombenah,
New South Wales, Australia

I grew Blackbutt in the very early 1980s, switching over from Cooba which my father had grown for years. My early memories of harvesting Cooba were with a comb front harvester, sometimes with croplifters, which was nightmarish! We noticed straight away that with Blackbutt that it had more tillers and the plants were very hardy, able to withstand the often dry autumns that we endure on our farming area. Blackbutt was fairly prostrate in early stages but with late autumn rain, it emerged into a massive bulk of feed in the winter months.

We continued to grow Blackbutt until we heard of another one, of related breeding, called Carbeen. A friend had been growing it for a few years. We gave it a go and have been growing it ever since. Some of the characteristics of Carbeen have been its ability to withstand lodging in all but the very lushest of seasons, its ability to put out lots of tillers when sown early, and when these become erect later, they have a very nutritious broad leaf that our stock thrive on.

I am so happy with the production levels from Carbeen that I have not even tried the new varieties or even winter wheats as I really don’t think they could be any better than what I have seen with Carbeen.

Paul McCulloch
Farmer
“Danibe”, Tamworth
New South Wales, Australia