Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Genomics and Breeding

Agro-morphological characterization of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) accessions at north-western part of Bangladesh

“…Flaxseeds (also called as linseeds) are a rich source of micronutrients, dietary fibre, manganese, vitamin B 1 and the essential fatty acid viz. alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) or omega-3 (Nôžková, 2016;You et al, 2019). Flax is the source of products (fibres) for existing high-value markets in the textile, composites, paper/pulp and industrial/nutritional oil sectors (Hamilton, 1986;Sharma and Van Sumere, 1992;You et al, 2019); is the source of industrial fibres and as currently processed, results in the long line (fibres) and short (i.e., tow) fibres (Van Sumere, 1992).…”

“…alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) or omega-3 (Nôžková, 2016;You et al, 2019). Flax is the source of products (fibres) for existing high-value markets in the textile, composites, paper/pulp and industrial/nutritional oil sectors (Hamilton, 1986;Sharma and Van Sumere, 1992;You et al, 2019); is the source of industrial fibres and as currently processed, results in the long line (fibres) and short (i.e., tow) fibres (Van Sumere, 1992). Long fibre is used in linen apparel, linen fabrics, damasks, lace, sheeting and banknote printing industries, while short fibre is used for manufacturing lower value products like twine, rope, canvas and webbing equipment, etc.…”

“…The limitation of lands under flax cultivation challenges researchers and farmers to produce more fibre and seed yield per unit area by planting high yielding varieties and through improved agricultural practices. Hence, the development of cultivars with high yielding potential becomes the top priority to overcome the poor yield levels (You et al, 2019). The agro-morphological characterization and selection is one of the oldest methods for varietal improvement of any crop.…”

“…The agro-morphological characterization and selection is one of the oldest methods for varietal improvement of any crop. The availability and knowledge about the extent of genetic diversity of existing resources play a major role in identifying parental lines and developing new varieties with desirable traits (Mohammed et al, 2017;You et al, 2019). The present study, therefore, aimed to characterize and evaluate yield performances of 26 flax accessions in the north-western region of Bangladesh.…”

Agro-Morphological Characterization and Genetic Dissection of Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) Genotypes

“…Linseed is an important agricultural crop since it contains 40% oil, 28% starch, 21% protein, 7.4% water, 3.4% different minerals and a lot of unsaturated fatty acids, especially linolenic acid [3]. Linseed is unique among oilseeds, and its high content of omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid (36%-57%), an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid, as well as omega-6, linoleic acid (18%-24%), has reawakened interest in the emerging market of functional foods in recent years [4][5][6]. Linseed is an important industrial crop for its unique drying and hardening properties, mostly used for industrial purposes like making paints, varnishes, soaps, and printing inks [7,8], while its low linolenic acid content is needed for human consumption.…”