Ningxia Oats

Ningxia Oats

　　Oats are also a distinctive grain crop in Guyuan County, Ningxia. The annual planting area ranges from 20,000 to 30,000 mu, with an average yield of 100–150 kilograms per mu, totaling around 2 million kilograms. The main variety, Ningyou No. 1, has seeds containing 15.88% crude protein, 5.94% crude fat, and 44.5% crude starch. It is a green health food that can be processed into oatmeal, rolled oats, oat laozao (a fermented drink), and oat koji. Its starch is used to make "Yan Mian Rou Rou," which is deeply loved by local residents.

　　 Oats, also known as bird's millet or wild wheat. Scientific name: Avena sativa L.

　　 　　Family: Poaceae, Subfamily: Pooideae (Agrostidoideae), Genus: Avena

　　 　　Oats are generally divided into two main types: hulled (covered) and naked. The oats cultivated worldwide are predominantly hulled, commonly referred to as covered oats. In China, the majority are naked oats. Naked oats have many aliases: in North China, they are called "you mai"; in Northwest China, "yu mai"; in Southwest China, "oats" or sometimes "you mai"; and in Northeast China, "ling dang mai."

　　 　　Production Overview of Oats

　　 　　Oats are a globally cultivated crop, grown in 42 countries across five continents, but the concentrated production areas are in the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere.

　　 　　Oats have a long history of cultivation in China, found in various mountainous regions, plateaus, and cold northern areas. The total planting area has historically been 18 million mu, with over 16 million mu dedicated to naked oats, accounting for 92% of the oat planting area. They are mainly grown in Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Gansu, Shaanxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, Ningxia, Guizhou, and Qinghai, with the first four provinces and autonomous regions making up about 90% of the national total. Oats are cultivated in 210 counties, but the main production areas are the Yin Mountains region of Inner Mongolia, the Yin and Yan Mountains of Hebei, the Taihang and Lüliang Mountains of Shanxi, the Liupan, Helan, and Qilian Mountains of Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, and Qinghai, and the high-altitude Liangshan and Xiaoliangshan regions of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. In recent years, the national planting area has decreased to 15 million mu, but due to the promotion of new varieties and improved cultivation techniques, the average yield has risen from 50 kilograms to 75 kilograms per mu. High-yield examples continue to emerge, such as 100 mu of Jizhangyou No. 4 in Duikou Nao, Zhangbei County, Hebei Province, which yielded an average of 301 kilograms per mu in 1989. From 1996 to 1998, the Pinglu District Seed Company in Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, introduced Jizhangyou No. 4 and achieved yields of 365 kilograms per mu. In Guobao Ying Village, Helinge'er County, Inner Mongolia, the average yield has consistently remained above 200 kilograms per mu for several years. Practice has shown that China’s naked oats are a highly adaptable and productive dual-purpose crop for both food and feed.

　　 　　Planting Characteristics of Oats

　　 　　Oats grow 60–120 cm tall with a fibrous root system that extends deep into the soil. Seedlings come in three types: upright, semi-upright, and prostrate; drought- and cold-resistant varieties are usually prostrate, while lodging-resistant and water-fertilizer-tolerant ones are mostly upright. The leaves have prominent membranous, tooth-like ligules but no auricles. The inflorescence is a panicle, with three types: compact spike, lateral loose, and uniformly loose. Common cultivated oats are usually uniformly loose, while Eastern oats are often lateral loose. Each branch bears 10–75 spikelets; each spikelet has two glumes enclosing 1–3 florets (occasionally 4), while naked oats have 2–7. They are self-pollinating with low cross-pollination rates. Except for naked oats, the grains are tightly enclosed between the lemma and palea. The thousand-grain weight is 20–40 grams, with hull content of hulled oats at 25–40%.

　　 　　Oats are a long-day plant. They prefer cool, moist conditions and dislike high temperatures and dryness. They require relatively low accumulated heat during their growth period but are not suited to cold climates. Seeds begin germinating at 1–2°C, and seedlings can tolerate short periods of low temperatures, but photosynthesis is impaired at absolute temperatures above 25°C. The transpiration coefficient is 597, second only to rice among cereal crops, so drought and high heat significantly affect oats, which is a key factor limiting their geographical distribution. They are not demanding on soil and can tolerate acidic soils with pH 5.5–6.5. Zinc levels below 0.2 ppm in podzolic soils can severely reduce yields, and copper deficiency lowers starch content.

　　 　　Cultivation

　　 　　Planting times vary by region. In North China, Northwest China, and Northeast China, oats are spring-sown with a growth period of 80–115 days; in Southwest China, they are winter-sown with a growth period of 230–245 days. Oats require ample water, yet China’s main production areas are rain-fed agricultural zones, so methods like early autumn plowing, harrowing, rolling, and pressing to conserve moisture are crucial. Leguminous crops like alfalfa, sweet clover, peas, and broad beans are ideal preceding crops. In poor soils, crop rotation with fallow and green manure can be adopted. Irrigated fields should use lodging-resistant, water-fertilizer-tolerant, and disease-resistant varieties. Seed disinfection should be performed before sowing to prevent covered smut. In spring-sown oat regions, to avoid damage from dry hot winds, sowing can begin when soil temperatures stabilize at 5°C. For dryland oats, adjust sowing times to align peak water demand with the local rainy season. Before autumn plowing, apply well-rotted or semi-rotted organic fertilizer as base fertilizer, and use seed fertilizer at sowing. Dryland planting density is 200,000–220,000 basic plants per mu, while irrigated fields use 250,000–350,000 per mu. Apply fertilizer and water during early to mid-tillering, and control excessive growth in later stages. Waterlogging can lead to lodging.

　　 　　The main diseases of oats are covered smut, loose smut, and red leaf disease; in some areas, stem rust, crown rust, and leaf spot also occur. Disease-resistant varieties, seed disinfection, early sowing, crop rotation, and water drainage are common control measures. Major pests include armyworms, cutworms, oat aphids, and wireworms, which can be managed through deep plowing, weed removal, and pesticide application. Wild oats, a global noxious weed, can be controlled by rotating with row crops, removing wild oat seeds from grain, shallow plowing before oat sowing to induce germination and then destroying the weeds, or using chemical herbicides.

　　 　　Economic Value of Oats

　　 　　Among the nine staple grains commonly consumed by Chinese people—wheat, rice, corn, etc.—oats have the highest economic value, primarily due to their superior nutrition, health benefits, and feed value.

　　 　　① High Nutritional Value

　　 　　According to comprehensive analysis by the Health Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China’s naked oats contain 15.6% crude protein, 8.5% fat, along with starch-released energy and elements like phosphorus, iron, and calcium, all ranking among the top compared to the other eight grains. The soluble dietary fiber in oats is 4.7 times that of wheat and 7.7 times that of corn. Oats are rich in B vitamins, niacin, folic acid, and pantothenic acid, especially vitamin E, which reaches 15 mg per 100 grams of oat flour. Additionally, oat flour contains saponins (a key component of ginseng), which are absent in other cereal grains. The amino acid profile of its protein is well-balanced, with the eight essential amino acids for humans all ranking high, particularly lysine at 0.68 grams.

　　 　　② High Medical and Health Value

　　 　　The medicinal and health benefits of oats are widely recognized by the medical community worldwide. Studies from 1981 to 1985 by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, in collaboration with 18 medical institutions including the Beijing Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Research Center and Haidian Hospital, involving five rounds of animal trials and three rounds of clinical observations (997 cases), proved that naked oats can prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases caused by high blood lipids. Consuming 100 grams of naked oatmeal daily for three months significantly reduces cholesterol, triglycerides, and β-lipoprotein in the heart and liver, with an overall effectiveness rate of 87.2%, showing no significant difference in efficacy compared to Coronary Peace tablets and no side effects. It also effectively treats secondary hyperlipidemia caused by liver/kidney diseases, diabetes, fatty liver, etc. Long-term consumption of oatmeal aids in controlling diabetes and obesity.

　　 　　③ High Feed Value

　　 　　Oat leaves and straw are juicy, tender, and palatable. According to *Animal Husbandry*, naked oat straw contains 5.2% crude protein, 2.2% crude fat, and 44.6% nitrogen-free extractives—higher than wheat straw, barley straw, and corn stalks. Its indigestible fiber is 28.2%, 4.9–16.4% lower than wheat, corn, and millet stalks, making it one of the best forages. Its grains are high-quality feed for young, old, sick, or heavily worked livestock, as well as poultry like chickens and pigs.

　　 　　Oats — Supplement Nutrition and Control Appetite

　　 　　Nutrition expert Professor Chen explains that oats, as an ancient grain crop, grow in high-altitude cold regions (1,000–2,700 meters) and are high in protein but low in carbohydrates. They are also rich in soluble and insoluble fibers, which absorb and expel cholesterol from the body, aligning with the modern "coarse food is better" dietary philosophy. Moreover, oats contain highly viscous soluble fiber that slows gastric emptying, increases satiety, and curbs appetite.

　　 　　A diet including oats helps control long-term energy intake and mitigates the impact of slowly digested carbohydrates on blood sugar. Oat fiber also reduces hunger, aiding weight loss. Today, many health-conscious individuals include oats in their daily meals to nourish their bodies and manage appetite—why not give it a try?