Analysis of yield and nutrient composition of oats in the Hulunbuir region based on the concentration of water-retaining agent treatment

The aim of this study was to reduce the impact of drought and water shortage on the yield and nutrient composition of oat, and to optimize the amount of water-retaining agents to be applied in the Hulunbuir region. This study used oat ‘Qinghai 444’ as the test material and determined the grass yield, agronomic traits, and nutrient composition of oat under different concentrations of water-retaining agents (0, 30, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, and 135 kg∙ha⁻¹) treatment at two experimental fields. The following results were obtained. Single-factor testing revealed that there is no significant difference in grass yield, underground weight, and crude protein content between plants grown under different concentrations of water-retaining agents. However, grass yield, total dry weight per plant, ground dry weight per plant, spike length, and detergent fiber content were significantly higher in plants grown under 75 kg∙ha⁻¹ water-retaining agents compared with all other concentrations. At different experimental fields, the grass yield, total dry weight per plant, underground dry weight per plant, plant height, spike length, under spike node length, and crude fat content in the Tenihe region were significantly higher than those in the Ewenke region. The two-factor interaction test revealed that when the concentration of water retaining agent was 75 kg∙ha⁻¹, indicators such as grass yield, total dry weight per plant, plant height, and crude fat content were higher in Tenihe than at Ewenke. Finally, through comprehensive comparative analysis, it was found that the comprehensive characteristics of oats were the best under 75 kg∙ha⁻¹ water-retaining agent treatment at Tenihe. The results of this study can be used to formulate guidelines for the efficient cultivation of oats in the Hulunbuir region.