A new method for evaluating fibre flax breeding material

Modern scientifically based breeding programs are focused on the creation of varieties of agricultural crops characterized by high quality of products and stable implementation of the genetic potential of plants according to traits that determine yield and quality. Fibre flax is no exception in this regard. For the Republic of Belarus, this is a traditional crop that symbolizes not only originality and prosperity, but also human health. Fibre flax breeding in our country is of extensive experience and traditions of successful production of varieties with excellent consumer qualities. Only over the past 10 years, domestic breeders have created 17 new varieties of various maturity groups. Scientists of the Institute of Flax together with colleagues from the Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Belarusian Agricultural Academy and the Belarusian State Technological University have developed new methodological approaches for the assessment and selection of valuable genotypes based on scanning microscopy, electrophoresis and DNA marking. Based on the screening of varieties for decortication ability, dynamics, degree and uniformity of the flax straw preparation process, the expediency of using this method for assessing the selection material of fiber flax is substantiated in this paper. As a result of studying the samples in the nursery of selection variety according to productivity, aging dynamics, as well as uniformity of rake separation along the length of the stems, the Accent variety was created based on the genotype 40H4-3-2-3-2. Along with high productivity, the variety is characterized by good rake dynamics, uniformity of rake separation along the length of the stem, which, together with the physical and mechanical characteristics, ensures high quality of long fiber.

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