INTRODUCTION
The 2007 UEOPN was grown at 10 locations in 8 states.  The nursery average yield was 98.9 bu/A, nearly 13 bu/A lower than the previous year and over 30 bu/A  lower than 2005 and 2004 harvests.  The highest yield was recorded at Madison, Wisconsin, with an average yield of 109.9 bu/A.  Following closely was Beresford, South Dakota and Ames, Iowa with 108.5 and 107.4 bu/A, respectively.  The lowest overall yield was recorded at Urbana, Illinois (75.4 bu/A).  This location was adversely affected by later than optimal planting and a severe incidence of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV).
Although Urbana had the lowest overall yield, one of its' lines, IL02-8658, was the highest yielding entry over all locations.  This entry was also highest in groat yield, based on the 7 locations that submitted grain samples (Appendix B).  This variety is entered in the 2008 UEOPN.  The second highest yielding entry was SD50945 (110.6 bu/A).  This is the first year these entries were grown in the UEOPN.
Coefficient of Variation (CV) and Least Significant Difference (LSD) values for yield are provided for each location in Table 5 "Average yield (bu/A), yield, and rank at stations reporting the 2007 UEOPN."  These values were either supplied by the cooperator, or the individual plot data were submitted and the values computed.  This information, plus the listing of "Plot Data" and "Comments on Growing Conditions" at individual locations should help in interpreting the results.
In contrast to previous years, groat percentages were determined by hand dehulling a 2.0-gram sample.  This was necessary because safety upgrades of our crop research processing facility limited access to the mechanical dehulling equipment.   Because of the small sample sizes, protein values were determined by combustion in a nitrogen analyzer (Leco model 428).  A  nitrogen to protein conversion factor of 6.25 was used.  Oil content was determined by weight of oven dried 2x petroleum ether extracts.   Beta-glucan was determined by  using an adapted calcafluor fluorescent microplate assay  instead of flow injection.  A  standard regression curve was generated  with 10-100 mg/L of beta-glucan per well.  Fluorescence was determined in a Molecular Devices SpectraMax Gemini monochromator microplate fluorometer.
A  list of recently released cultivars including state or program of origin, assigned name, experimental line number in testing, nurseries tested in and pedigree can be found in Appendix C.  This list, in addition to being included in the annual reports, is to be maintained on the GrainGenes website (http://wheat.pw.usda.gov/GG2/oat.shtml).
We wish to thank Laurie Herrin, USDA Cereal Crops Research Unit, Madison, WI, for analyses of groat protein, beta-glucan, and oil percentages.
This and past years' reports are available at: http://wheat.pw.usda.gov/GG2/Avena/UE-MOPN.html.