agriculture Article Black Oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.) Ontogenesis and Agronomic Performance in Organic Cropping System and Pannonian Environments Vladan Ugrenovi´c 1, Vera Popovi´c 2 , Milan Ugrinovi´c 3, Vladimir Filipovi´c 4, Ksenija Maˇcki´c 5,*, Nataša Ljubiˇci´c 6 , Slobodan Popovi´c 7 and Željko Laki´c 8 1 Institute for Soil Science, Teodora Drajzera 7, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia; [email protected] 2 Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, National Institute for the Republic of Serbia, Maxim Gorky 30, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; [email protected] 3 Institute for Vegetable Crops, Karador¯ deva¯ 71, 11420 Smederevska Palanka, Serbia; [email protected] 4 Institute for Medicinal Plants Research “Dr. Josif Panˇci´c”,Tadeuša Koš´cuška1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; vladimirmfi[email protected] 5 Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Obradovica 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia 6 BioSense Institute, University of Novi Sad, Dr. Zorana Ðindi´ca,21000¯ Novi Sad, Serbia; [email protected] 7 Faculty of Economy, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; [email protected] 8 Faculty of Agriculture, University of Banja Luka, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: This study examined the influence of agroecological conditions on the ontogenesis and production yield traits of black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.). Understanding the agronomic and phenological properties related to productive properties of black oats can enable more successful Citation: Ugrenovi´c,V.; Popovi´c,V.; introduction into new areas of oat cultivation. Field microexperiments were performed during the Ugrinovi´c,M.; Filipovi´c,V.; Maˇcki´c, three consecutive years (2017–2019) on the two localities in South Banat, in Serbia, which differed in K.; Ljubiˇci´c,N.; Popovi´c,S.; Laki´c,Ž. soil type: carbonate chernozem and humogley, respectively. The results showed that all investigated Black Oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.) traits of oat in the chernozem soil type were higher when compared with measured traits obtained Ontogenesis and Agronomic from the humogley soil type. The average value of yields of aboveground biomass, yield and protein Performance in Organic Cropping content were significantly higher in relation to the humogley, by 13%, 17% and 11%, respectively for all System and Pannonian Environments. three seasons. Observed by years, all productivity parameters differed significantly, which confirmed Agriculture 2021, 11, 55. https:// that the productivity of the cultivated plants was strongly influenced by different agroecological, doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11010055 soil and climatic conditions in Pannonian environments. The aboveground biomass and grain yield Received: 8 November 2020 obtained from the humogley soil type indicate that this species can be successfully grown and utilized Accepted: 7 January 2021 in production as a cover or fodder crop even in less favorable soil conditions. Published: 12 January 2021 Keywords: black oats; locality; ontogenesis; productivity parameters; soil Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neu- tral with regard to jurisdictional clai- ms in published maps and institutio- nal affiliations. 1. Introduction The black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.) belongs to the diploid subgroup of cultivated annual species of the genus Avena, with an open and loose panicle. It differs from other Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Li- cultivated species of this genus by thin and tall stem and outer glumes that end in two thin censee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. awn looking outgrowths [1]. This plant species has moderate requirements for climatic This article is an open access article and soil conditions. It tolerates drought well [2], but is less resistant to low temperatures ◦ distributed under the terms and con- because it freezes in winter at temperatures below −7 C[3]. This limits cultivation to a ditions of the Creative Commons At- certain extent, so it is more often grown as a spring crop. The black oat tolerates lower soil tribution (CC BY) license (https:// fertility levels well. It is tolerant to acidic soils (pH 4.5 to 7.3), and is best suited to sandy creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ and loamy soils [2]. 4.0/). Agriculture 2021, 11, 55. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11010055 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/agriculture Agriculture 2021, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 14 Agriculture 2021, 11, 55 2 of 14 tolerates lower soil fertility levels well. It is tolerant to acidic soils (pH 4.5 to 7.3), and is best suited to sandy and loamy soils [2]. TheThe black black oats’ oats’ center center of of origin origin is is considered considered to to be be the the Iberian Iberian Peninsula, Peninsula, from from where where itit spread spread to to Western Western and Cen Centraltral Europe and occupied a number of ecological niches in thethe area area all all the the way to the plains of Afghanistan.Afghanistan. At At first, first, this this species species was was originally a a weedweed in in other other cereals, cereals, but since the Bronze Age it has been cultivated and used in human nutritionnutrition or or as as an animalimal feed. feed. Over Over time, time, cultivation cultivation and and use use declined, declined, so so that that at at the end of thethe twentieth twentieth century century it it was was on on the the verge verge of of extinction in in Europe [4] [4].. The reason for this waswas the the introduction of more productive cultivated forms of A. sativa L. [5 [5–7]7].. In In recent yyearsears in Europe, efforts havehave beenbeenmade made to to conserve conserve the the genetic genetic resources resources of of the the black black oat oat as aswell well as as revive revive its its production production [8]. [8] The. The black black oat oat is considered is considered an excellentan excellent feed feed for cattlefor cattle due dueto its to high its nutritionalhigh nutritional value and value good and digestibility good digestibility [9]. Due to its[9] biological. Due to properties, its biological such properties,as the ability such to remediateas the ability soil to via remediate the phytoextraction soil via the ofphytoextraction heavy metals, of and heavy allelopathic metals, andand allelopathic nematocidal and effects, nematocidal it finds application effects, it infinds sustainable application agricultural in sustainable production agricultural systems productionas a cover crop systems [10,11 as]. a Therefore, cover crop for [10,11] the needs. Therefore, of the EU, for in th thee needs area ofof Vojvodinathe EU, in province,the area ofthe Vojvodina production province, of black the oat production seeds has beenof black organized oat seeds since has 2013 been (Scheme organized1), which since 2013 also (Schemerepresents 1), its which introduction also represents into Serbia its introduction [12]. into Serbia [12]. SchemeScheme 1. 1. BlackBlack oat oat seed seed production production near near Alibunar Alibunar city, city, Serbia (Photo:(Photo: Ugrenović, Ugrenovi´c,2018). 2018). BesideBeside the the fact fact that that oat, oat, like like many many other other cereals, cereals, the the black black oat oat is is highly highly adaptable, adaptable, onlyonly cultivars cultivars with with modest modest input input demands demands are are suitable suitable for for growing growing in in different stress environmentsenvironments [13] [13].. The The less less productive productive soils soils could could significant significantlyly decrease decrease the the production. production. DueDue to differencesdifferences in in the the structure structure of theof the pedological pedological profile, profile, the processesthe processes of transformation of transfor- mationand migration and migration of mineral of andmineral organic and matter, organic as matter, well as as physicochemical well as physicochemical characteristics, charac- the teristics,productivity the productivity and quality of and plants quality are differentof plants in are different different types in different of soil [14 types]. However, of soil [14] with. However,knowledge with of the knowledge genetic resources, of the genetic the needs resources, of plants the and needs plant of response, plants and as well plant as there- sponse,agroecological as well conditions as the agro ofecological the specific conditions region, it isof possible the specific to optimize region, plantit is possible production to optimizeand the rational plant production use of production and the inputs.rational use of production inputs. Therefore,Therefore, the mainmain purposepurpose of of this this study study was was to evaluateto evaluate the performancethe performance of com- of commercialmercial black black oat varietiesoat varieties in different in different localities, localities, different different soil typesoil andtype differentand different years yearsof study. of study. In that In sense, thatthe sense, goal the of thegoal conducted of the conduct researched was research to study was the to ontogenesis study the ontogenesisand productive and characteristics productive ofcharacteristics this new plant of species this innew organic plant production species in systems organic in productiondifferent agroecological systems in different conditions agroecological of Pannonian conditions environments. of Pannonian The best environments. management Thepractices best management identified in thispractices preliminary identified study in can this then preliminary be verified study and extrapolatedcan then be verified