A Study of the Relation Between Seed Size and Number of Seeds per Boll in Certain Flax Crosses
Date
1955-04
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Masters
Abstract
As mentioned by Jenkins (10) the position of flax on the prairies
is being challenged by other oil-bearing crops, but it is still
important from the plant breeding standpoint. The diversification in
oil crops is related to the increased use of oils other than linseed
oil in the manufacture of paints and also to the rapidly expanding
use of vegetable oils for edible purposes. Linseed oil has long been
recognized as an oil with a high iodine value, that is, an oil with a
fast drying ability. However, the iodine value of edible oils is relatively
low. Sallans and Sinclair (16) emphasized that it may be possible to
divide the flax crop on the basis of iodine value in order to utilize
the part with low iodine value in the edible oil and soap industries.
This would give flax a better chance to compete with other oil
bearing crops such as sunflowers, safflower and soybeans, since flax
is already a well adapted crop, except for its limited usefulness.
As Sallans and Sinclair (16) reported there is great variability in
the iodine value of linseed oil. It might be possible to produce a
flax variety with a high oil content and a low iodine number.
The improvement of flax is also based on yield. Since
yield is determined by seed size, number of seeds per boll
and number of bolls per plant, the study of these characters
and their relationship seemed worthy of investigation.
In the breeding program suggested by Jenkins (10) large
seed size is of special interest because Johnson (9)
found a negative correlation between large seed size and
iodine value
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Degree
Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Department
Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering
Program
Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering