Easily available commercial enzymes currently have great potential in bast fibre processing and can be modified for different end uses. There are several new technologies using enzymes that are able to modify fibre parameters, achieve requested properties, improve processing results and are more beneficial to the ecology in the area of bast fibre processing and fabrics finishing. Enzymatic methods for retting of flax, "cottonisation" of bast fibres, hemp separation, and processing of flax rovings before wet spinning, etc., fall into this group of new technologies. Such enzymatic biotechnologies can provide benefits in textile, composite, reinforced plastic and other technical applications. Laboratory, pilot and industrial scale results and experiences have demonstrated the ability of selected enzymes to decompose interfibre-bonding layers based on pectin, lignin and hemicelluloses. Texazym SER spray is able to increase flax long fibre yields by more than 40%. Other enzymes in combination with mild mechanical treatment can replace aggressive and energy-intensive processing like Laroche "cottonisation". Texazym SCW and DLG pretreatments of flax rovings are presented.

Caraway (Carum carvi L.) is a traditional medicinal and spice cross-pollinated plant species. Although in vitro techniques are recently extensively applied in plant breeding programmes, these are not commonly utilized in caraway. Therefore, based on the protocol for anther culture in carrot (Daucus carota L., a closely related species of caraway in Daucaceae family), in vitro androgenesis in caraway has been studied with the aim to produce completely homozygous inbred lines. Various induction conditions, such as temperature pretreatments, carbon sources and combination of growth regulators in a culture medium as well as the effect of genotype on in vitro androgenesis were examined. Ten breeding lines of winter caraway representing third generation of forced (artificial) self-pollination were used as donor plant material. Cultured anthers produced embryogenic calli, and subsequently two types of regenerated plants were obtained, namely haploids with evident microspore origin, and diploids which may represent somatic (anther wall) regenerants or spontaneous doubled haploids. The ploidy status of regenerated plants was determined by flow cytometry. This is the first report on androgenic doubled haploid production in caraway.

Plant regeneration was obtained from cultured anthers and hypocotyl segments of caraway (Carum carvi L.). Microspore-and somatic tissue-derived embryos were compared by observation of the regeneration process under identical induction conditions. Fluorescent microscopy with DAPI staining showed initiation of cell divisions and formation of embryogenic callus and somatic embryos from anther sacs, with production of embryos of both microspore and somatic origin. Induction of somatic embryos from hypocotyl-derived callus was also demonstrated. Isozyme native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to identify haploids and doubled haploids, and to determine the frequency of spontaneous diploidization of regenerated plants of microspore origin. Donor plants (2n= 20) and their anther-derived derivative plants (n=10, 2n= 20, 4n=40) in callus stage or leafy rosette stage were compared. The esterase (EST) band patterns of regenerated plants differed from the heterozygous parental material, suggesting that the regenerated plants were microsporederived haploid/doubled haploid plants. The similar profile of EST bands between the diploid anther-derived plants and a sample of the donor plants corresponded to a somatic regeneration pathway. Although the selected induction conditions revealed no preference for induction of microspore embryogenesis, the anther culture protocol established for caraway utilizing isozyme segregating EST loci markers is suitable for DH production.

Eight genotypes of caraway were tested in vegetative periods 1999/2000 and 2000/2001. The weight of achenes on plant, the weight of achenes on individual branches, the number of achenes on plant and on individual branches, the weight of thousand achenes on plant and on individual branches and the height of plants were evaluated. The data from vegetative periods and from perenial experiments were tested statistically. The results were used for choose of genotype of caraway as a basic for new variety of non-shattering type.