The laboratory of oil flax breeding

Larisa Grigorievna RYABENKO

Larisa Grigorievna RYABENKO

Head of the laboratory
PhD in agriculture

Tel: (861) 254-25-44
E-mail: flax@vniimk.ru


The main objectives of the laboratory of oil flax breeding are breeding works on oil flax, primary seed production of varieties included in the State Register, improvement and development of effective breeding methods. 6 specialists are working at the laboratory, including 2 PhD in agriculture, 1 PhD in biology, and 3 researchers without academic degrees.

Oil flax breeding at V. S. Pustovoit All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops (VNIIMK) has been carried out since the second half of the thirties. Until 1987, the laboratory was headed by PhD in agriculture M. A. Sorochinskaya, in the following period till 2010 the head of the laboratory was F. M. Galkin, at present, the laboratory is headed by L. G. Ryabenko, PhD in agriculture.

The scope of laboratory activities includes conducting theoretical and methodological research to improve the efficiency of flax breeding, as well as practical work on the development of new competitive flax varieties.

As a result of VNIIMK’s breeding work, 7 oil flax varieties with high yield and oil content of seeds, and resistance to Fusarium blight have been developed and approved for production over the past twenty years.

In 2015, 24 oil flax varieties, including 12 varieties of breeding of VNIIMK breeding and its experimental stations, were included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements Approved for Use: VNIIMK 620, VNIIMK 630, Rucheyok, Fliz, Biryuza, Isilkulsky, Legur, Sokol, and Nebesny.

Currently, the main direction in flax breeding is the development of varieties adapted to the conditions of the North Caucasus, the Volga region, and other cultivation areas of this crop, with a potential yield of up to 3 t/ha, oil content of seeds of up to 50%, with high resistance to diseases, pests and lodging of plants, suitable for dual use — for seeds and fiber.

In 2005, the laboratory of oil flax breeding of VNIIMK developed a collection of lines with different ratios of fatty acids in oil: linoleic — from 16 to 73% and linolenic — from 1.6 to 56%.

Flax oil with linolenic acid content from 2.3 to 4.0% is 4 to 12 times better in oxidation stability than conventional oil depending on the oxidation temperature, which allows its use for food purposes.

Together with the laboratory of genetics and immunity of soybean, the laboratory is carrying out research on Fusarium- and frost-resistance of flax. As a result, for the first time in the world there was developed the «Y-1» flax lines with complete resistance to Fusarium blight and flax sickness. In the future, oil flax varieties developed based on such lines can be grown in short (3-4 years) crop rotations and even in monocultures. Also, a group of frost-resistant lines of «Snegurok» series has been developed, which can successfully overwinter under Kuban conditions during autumn sowing and mature at the beginning of June.

Along with breeding work the laboratory carries out primary seed production of developed flax varieties in the amounts necessary for variety changing and variety renewal.