Evaluation of Oat Varieties Under Different Levels of Fertilization and Crop Protection in Conventional and Organic Systems

The selection of resistant cultivars is a cornerstone of crop production. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) guidelines explicitly emphasize the use of the genetic potential for natural resistance in cultivated varieties, which primarily enables a reduction in the use of chemical plant protection products. Post-Registration Variety Testing (PRVT) and Ecological Variety Testing (EVT) allow the identification of cultivars best adapted to local soil and climatic conditions and provide guidance for variety choice under conventional management with limited chemical inputs (PRVT) or organic farming (EVT). The objective of this study was to evaluate the response of selected cultivars of common oat (Avena sativa L.) and naked oat (Avena nuda L.) to different levels of fertilization and crop protection. We analyzed grain yield, thousand-grain weight (TGW), plant height, pre-harvest lodging, and susceptibility to two fungal pathogens (Drechslera avenae and Blumeria graminis f. sp. avenae). Experiments were performed in integrated (PRVT) and organic (EVT) systems in Pawłowice and Białogard during 2023–2024. The results highlight the importance of matching cultivar choice to the management system to achieve high and stable yields with minimal chemical inputs.