Use of gamma rays to induce powdery mildew resistant mutants in flax [electronic resource].

Includes references.

This work was carried out to induce powdery-mildew resistant mutants in flax with the desirable agronomic traits by using gamma rays The relative resistance of 19 flax genotypes to powdery mildew was evaluated under hath field and greenhouse conditions. Some of the genotypes showed almost the same performance in greenhouse and 'field tests, which may indicate that their performance was stable and insensitive to changes in environmental conditions. Dry seeds of the powdery-mildew highly susceptible flax cultivar Sakha-1 were exposed to the following doses of gamma rays: 0, 200, 300, 400,500, 600, and 700 Gray (Gy). Powdery-mildew resistant single plants (0-5% disease severity) were selected and individually harvested at M1 generation. Disease severity was also recorded for M1 lines' to determine resistant ones. Of the powdery-mildew resistant lines, 40 showed 'stable performances over two successive growing seasons, and these were selected for further study. From M2 pooled resistant population, the best performing 50 plants, in terms of yield and yield components, were selected based on a selection index.

Summary in Arabic.

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