Objectives
- Introduce promising and diverse germplasm from the Russian genebank at the All-Russian Flax Research Institute to Canada and characterize this germplasm using agrobotanic, molecular and chemical methods.
- Gain insight in the location-specific adaptation and the broad adaptability of diverse germplasm by conducting an agronomic evaluation of selected accessions from the Canadian genebank (PGRC) in the environments of north-western Russia (Torzhok), southern Russia (Krasnodar) and western Canada (Saskatoon).
Project Description
During the years 1999-2002 the Canadian seed gene bank, Plant Gene Resources of Canada (PGRC), Saskatoon, received 415 accessions of cultivated flax and three other Linum species from the All-Russian Flax Research Institute (VNIIL) at Torzhok, Russia. The cultivated flax germplasm was grown at Saskatoon and each accession was described for thirty characteristics, including important agronomic traits. The germplasm included several accessions with reported disease resistances and landraces of flax so far underrepresented in the PGRC germplasm collection. A molecular characterization of 287 of these accessions was conducted, which allowed determination of the genetic diversity represented in this germplasm. The germplasm of 381 accessions of cultivated flax, data about its phenotypic performance in the Saskatchewan environment and the molecular characterization data of this Russian flax germplasm are now available at PGRC.
The agronomic evaluation of 93 accessions from the PGRC collection of cultivated flax was completed during three years at Torzhok, north-western Russia, by the VNIIL. For 91 accessions, two years of agronomic evaluation of this germplasm were conducted in northern Caucasus area, southern Russia, near to the city of Krasnodar. Access to this location was possible by cooperation with the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (VILAR), Moscow. At Saskatoon, an evaluation for three years was conducted with the same accessions. For 152 flax accessions from the PGRC collection an evaluation for disease resistance to fusarium, anthracnose and pasmo was conducted at the VNIIL. The compilation of the agronomic and disease resistance evaluation data allowed for the detection of promising new sources of germplasm for crop improvement in flax in respect to fibre use, linseed use and combined use at all three locations.
