Comparative seed yield performance of high-by-high and low-by-high crosses in flax *

Successful identification of a desirable segregant depends partly on the parents chosen to make the crosses. This experiment was conducted to compare performance and genetic variability for seed yield, yield components, agronomic traits and harvest index of lines derived from low- and high-yielding flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) crosses, and to identify important yield components for flax seed yield improvement. The lines chosen as high yielding parents for this experiment were‘Linott’and 'Summit; and the low yielding parents were‘Grant’and Ci2395. The high-yielding lines produced significantly more seeds per boll and had a higher harvest index than the low-yielding lines. Evaluation of 161 F_2:6 lines from four crosses among these lines showed that the greatest genetic variability, highest cross average, and highest F₆ line seed yield occurred in the low x high cross,‘Grant’x‘Linott’. All low X high crosses exhibited higher genetic variances for seed yield than the high x high crosses. The high x high cross 'Summit’x‘Linott’had low genetic variance for seed yield. Number of bolls per area was determined by linear regression, path coefficient analysis, and stepwise multiple regression analysis to be the most important component of seed yield. This study showed that hybridization of low and high-yielding flax lines may be useful to increase genetic variability and obtain high-yielding flax lines.