Prediction of fibre components in oat hulls by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy

The fibre fractions of oat (Avena sativa L.) hulls, i.e. neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL), were evaluated, using a specifically developed near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) equation model, in a set of cultivars grown in various locations across Italy. The results indicated that the NIRS technique can accurately predict the fibre composition of oat hulls. Statistical analysis of variance underlined the strong impact of cultivar on the accumulation of fibre components, whereas location generally played a minor role. The largest variability among cultivars was observed in ADL content, whereas the range of variation in NDF and ADF contents appeared to be reduced. The description of the chemical characteristics of oat hulls could be helpful in determining the most suitable end-use for specific cultivars.