History

For thousands of years we have benefited from the willing, compliant and adaptable nature of the horse. From carrying a rider at a flat out gallop to jumping enormous obstacles and majestically floating across a dressage arena this extraordinary adaptability extends to a variety of daily routines. One minute stable around the clock except for an hours vigorous exercise, the next turned out to graze for months on end. Such changes in routine invariably have a direct impact on the horses diet.

Horses thrive on a high fibre, low starch and high fat diet. Ranch oats are able to fulfil all these criteria.

Results

Summary of ARC trial - Harvest 2000

Variety            Yield t/ha    % Site Mean
Ranch               7.09                115
Drummer          6.55                106
Dula                 5.15                 84

Farmers Crops - Harvest 2001 (most drilled in late April)

Area                  Acres            Ranch            Spring Oat
                                         Yield t/ha
Brentwood          30                  5.1                    4.5
Ongar                 34                  4.6                     -
Watton At Stone  23                  5.0                    5.1
Chelmsford         38                  4.3                      -

Description of Variety

Parentage:                    Sirene x Creole
Type:                           Spring
Grain colour:                Black
Earliness of Ripening:    6 (Amigo)
Shortness of straw:       5 (Firth)
Standing power:           7 (Firth)
Mildew:                       5
Crown Rust:                5 (Firth)

Reasons for growing Ranch Oats

Yield - At least as good if not better than conventional spring oats.

Price - Oats now have a value of £65 per tonne
           Ranch Oats value, wheat price £73.80 + £5 = £78.80

Extra return of £13.80 x say yield of 2.0t/acre = £27.60
                                                      2.5t/acre = £34.50
                                                      2.75t/acre = £37.95
                                                      3.0t/acre = £41.40

Value of straw - 80 conventional bales/acre @ 75p/bale = £60

Break crop of sorts

Contracted premium crop

Small niche market

Low input crop - 100 units of Nitrogen

Only 500 acre contract