Oat Milk Supply Chain Literature Review - Prepared for Thriving Southland - 21 September 2021

Sep 17, 2026

Uploaded by Hazel

Oat milk supply chain literature review prepared for Thriving Southland examines agronomic requirements for oat production and connects them to product health properties and market opportunities. The review synthesizes evidence on optimal climate and soil conditions, nutrient and nitrogen management, cultivar selection, pest, weed and disease pressure, and greenhouse-gas emissions. It also evaluates market potential in international and New Zealand contexts and assesses case studies from Oatly and Otis Oat Milk, identifying literature gaps and innovative opportunities such as carbon neutrality.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages37

Reading Time1 h 33 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose of literature review

Oat agronomics

Oat in Southland, New Zealand

Optimal climatic and environmental conditions for oat crops

Nutrient requirements

Pests, weeds, and disease

Oat cultivars

Regenerative farming practices

Nitrogen management

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

Oat products

Health properties of oats

Market insights

International market potential

New Zealand market

Case studies

Oatly

Otis Oat Milk

Innovative opportunities

Gaps in the literature

Oat milk supply chain literature review Prepared for: Thriving Southland 21st September, 2021 By: Anna Campbell, Kevin Wilson and Loamé Kok AbacusBio Contents PURPOSE OF LITERATURE REVIEW 3 OAT AGRONOMICS 3 Oat in Southland, New Zealand 4 Nutrient requirements 8 Pests, weeds, and disease 11 Oat cultivars 12 Regenerative farming practices 12 Nitrogen management 14 Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 17 OAT PRODUCTS 21 Health properties of oats 21 MARKET INSIGHTS 30 International Market Potential 30 New Zealand market 31 CASE STUDIES 32 Oatly 32 Otis Oat Milk 35 INNOVATIVE OPPORTUNITIES 36 GAPS IN THE LITERATURE 37 Purpose of literature review To provide Thriving Southland with an independent review of existing literature pertaining to the following elements of oat milk production: • Production needs-agronomic requirements, including soil and water needs, weed and pest management; • Market analysis of oats for milk-costs and margins, competition, product mix and innovative opportunities, carbon neutrality. Oat agronomics Commercial oat varieties have long been recognised as a high-quality food for humans and feed for livestock. Modern oat varieties, Avena sativa L., are hexaploid and originate from 30 ancestral species (diploids, tetraploids and hexaploids)1. Improved genetics have played a significant role in improving yield and other agronomic characteristics. Crop management, eg nitrogen levels and climatic conditions, also have significant influences on enhancing oat composition and yields. Optimal climatic and environmental conditions for oat crops Oats are mostly grown in cool, moist climates with optimum growing temperatures of 20-21°C2. Oats can be sensitive to hot, dry weather, especially during emergence of the head and maturity. For these reasons, world oat production is generally concentrated across latitudes of 35-65°N and 20-46°S3. Temperature has a significant impact on the growth and development of oats, as shown in a controlled environment trial across three genotypes in the United States. In this trial, grain‐filling rate was 45% greater at 15°C daytime temperature than at 31°C4. These data are supported by data from a North Dakota study showing that warm, bright (high solar radiation) spring weather, and cooler summer weather, without excessive rains during grain filling, generated the best oat yields with high quality grain5. In further support of this, trials assessing impact of root zone temperature and phosphorus concertationon oat plant growth showed that height response and root yield (with added phosphorous) was greatest at 15°C and least at 25°C6. Oats thrive in well drained soils but are adapted to grow in many soil types when the pH is between 5.5 and 7.07. Oats do not perform well in acid soils and have an intolerance to aluminium toxicity8, although they will perform better than other small-grain cereals in acid soils9. In more acidic soils, lime can be applied to soil prior to sowing to increase pH to optimum levels. 1 [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22478-4](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22478-4) 2 [https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/oats/infos](https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/oats/infos) 3 [http://www.fao.org/3/y5765e/y5765e06.htm\#:](http://www.fao.org/3/y5765e/y5765e06.htm#:)~:text=Oats%20are%20mostly%20grown%20in,and%2020%2D46%C2%B0S. 4 [https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2135/cropsci1996.0011183X003600030017x](https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2135/cropsci1996.0011183X003600030017x) 5 [https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2135/cropsci2001.4141066x](https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2135/cropsci2001.4141066x) 6 [https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2136/sssaj1964.03615995002800030032x](https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2136/sssaj1964.03615995002800030032x) 7 [https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/oats/

FAQs

What production elements does the literature review focus on for oat milk supply?

It covers agronomic needs such as soil and water requirements, weed and pest management, and production-related factors that influence costs and margins, including competition and product mix, alongside carbon neutrality considerations.

Why are climate and temperature important for oat yields?

The review links oat growth and grain development to cool, moist conditions, noting that grain filling and yield respond strongly to daytime temperatures and spring weather quality, while heat and drought during key stages can be damaging.

How does the review connect agronomics to market and product outcomes?

It pairs agronomic findings with market analysis of oats for milk, including international and New Zealand demand, and evaluates real-world brand case studies (Oatly and Otis Oat Milk) to surface innovative opportunities and research gaps.

Sep 17, 2026

Uploaded by Hazel

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