CGN flax collection

Later the collection became a working collection of the former Foundation for Plant Breeding (SVP) in Wageningen and was used in flax breeding research programs between 1948 and 1996. The collection was in particular used for resistance breeding to flax scorch (Pythium megalacanthum), Fusarium wilt and rust (Melampsora lini). Material of the collection was also used for the improvement of the fibre content. The collection was adopted by CGN in 1995 (Van Soest, 1998) after encouragement to do so by a group of four private Dutch breeding companies.

The collection includes fibre flax and linseed, and there is just a bit more fibre flax than linseed present in the collection. There are a few accessions of wild material. The collection consists of landraces, cultivars and research material. A large part of the collection is of European origin, and there are accessions from the USA, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Japan and several countries from North Africa included in the collection. (Van Soest 1998).

Regeneration is done on a field plot of 2m2 with a density of 1000 seeds per m2. The plots are sown with a sowing machine in rows with a row-to-row distance of 9 cm. Regularly weeding needs to be done during crop establishment. During flowering plants with a different plant height or with a different flower color are removed. After flowering, when seeds are ripening, the crop needs to be protected against birds. Harvest is done in bundles as soon as the seed pods are completely brown and dry. The bundles are put into bags, are dried and subsequently threshed. The wild accessions are sown in the greenhouse and seedlings are transplanted into pots. Cultivation can be done in the greenhouse or outside. Because the seed pods of wild species open as soon as the seeds are ripe, harvesting needs to be done several times, harvesting only the most ripe pods each time. In case of a bad seed harvest, the plants of the perennial species Linum bienne can be overwintered in a greenhouse, and another harvest can be done in a second growing season.

A flax core collection of 83 accessions was developed during the period of 1998 to 2001, reducing the accessions subsequently over the years. From this core collection, 52 accessions were evaluated for fibre content, both by the warm retting and green decortication methods by CGN and ATO (Agrotechnological Research Institute, Wageningen) (Oever et al. 2003). These data are downloadable and searchable on the CGN website.