Oats: new and old

I'm writing a paper about ancient cereals at the moment, focusing on the emergence of oat as an important crop in Iron Age and early medieval Europe. I took a break from writing a few days ago to visit the Rosemount Environmental Research Station at University College Dublin. It's just a short stroll from my office, but it feels like another world.

At Rosemount, staff and students have developed wonderful outdoor plots where many different plants are growing, as well as glasshouses and laboratories, where a fascinating variety of experimental plant trials are being undertaken. I was particularly interested in the oat trials (pictured above)! It was my first visit to Rosemount, and I plan to return. Watch this space for further updates.