Despite a signiicant decrease over the last 50 years, the production of oats (Avena sativa L.) presents both environmental and health beneits. When incorporated in crop rotations, oat has the potential to improve soil health and to break pest cycles in corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotations. In addition, the presence of a soluble dietary iber (b-glucan) in oat grain can help prevent cholesterol, coronary heart diseases, and type 2 diabetes. The development of new oat cultivars with superior productivity and high test weight is required to improve the attractiveness of the crop to producers and to maintain or increase oat production in the United States. 'Hayden' (Reg. No. CV-383, PI 676028) is a spring oat cultivar developed at South Dakota State University and released by the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station in 2014. The pedigree of Hayden is 'Buckskin'//ND011054/SD020835. Hayden was developed using a modiied bulk and single seed descent selection method. Hayden is a white hulled cultivar with mid-to-late maturity. Hayden was evaluated in the South Dakota Crop Performance Testing Oat Variety Trial from 2013 to 2015 and in the Uniform Mid-Season Oat Performance Nursery in 2013 and 2014 under the experimental number SD111972. Hayden was released because of its excellent yield potential, good yield stability, and high test weight. It is resistant to smut and moderately tolerant to Barley yellow dwarf virus. Hayden also demonstrates good overall milling and nutritional quality. Agronomy, Horticulture, and Plant Science Dep., South Dakota State Univ., Brookings, SD.O at (Avena sativa L.) grain production in the United States has declined signiicantly over the last 50 years. he Upper Midwest accounts for a large proportion of US oat production. With 183.27 million kg produced in 2015 (USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2015), South Dakota is one of the main oat producing states in the United States. Including spring oats in corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotations presents an advantage because it can break pest cycles and improve soil health. Oat grain is used mainly for feed and for food. he race horse feed market requires white-hulled cultivars with high test weight. To meet the requirement of the food market, it is desirable that new cultivars exhibit high test weight, high groat percentage, and high thousand kernel weight, as well as demonstrate a b-glucan concentration higher than 4%. Because oat grains contain b-glucan, a soluble iber promoting health beneits, the market for milling quality oats is increasing. To ensure that food products made with oats remain afordable for consumers, it is necessary to maintain or increase oat production. To increase the attractiveness of oats to farmers in the region, new oat cultivars must be developed with improved productivity and marketability. he objective of the South Dakota State University breeding program was to develop a new white-hulled oat cultivar with increased grain yield, high test weight, and ...