The UK’s most widely grown oat, bred at Aberystwyth University, has scooped one of the industry’s most prestigious accolades.

The National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) has awarded its coveted Variety Cup to the winter oat Mascani describing it as an “exceptional variety” and praising “its unmatched quality and reliability”.

Mascani was bred by researchers at Aberystwyth University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) and is marketed across the UK by Senova Ltd.

The variety is extremely popular in the milling industry and is known for its consistent grain quality along with reliability in the field and resistance to crop disease.

The 2025 NIAB Variety Cup for Mascani was presented to Dr Catherine Howarth from IBERS and Alison Barrow from Senova Ltd at an awards ceremony at the 2025 Cereals event in Lincolnshire.

The Variety Cup acknowledges exceptional varieties that have made a major contribution to crop productivity through improved quality, disease resistance, grower return or commercial success, and can be drawn from the entire spectrum of horticultural, ornamental and agricultural crops.

Clare Leaman, Niab’s cereal specialist, said: “Despite the emergence of newer oat varieties boasting improved yield and agronomic traits, Mascani has maintained dominance in the industry due to its exceptional quality characteristics, which continue to meet the exacting standards of millers. “Its success is testament to the unique dynamics of UK oat breeding programmes which often lead to varieties with remarkable longevity.”

Research on developing the Mascani oat began at IBERS 30 years ago and the variety was added to the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board’s list of recommended seeds in 2004.

Dr Catherine Howarth, oat breeding and research lead at IBERS said: “As a research team, we are incredibly proud to accept the Niab Variety Cup for Mascani.

“It’s a huge honour for all those who have been involved.”