Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) genetic resources for climate change intervention and its future breeding

Abstract

Linseed or flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), a multiple purpose crop valued for its seed oil, fibre, probiotic and nutraceutical properties, is adapted to different environments and agro-ecologies. Modern breeding techniques using only limited number of selected varieties have resulted in a loss of specific alleles and thus, reduction in total genetic diversity relevant to climate-smart agriculture. However, well-curated collections of landraces, wild linseed accessions and other Linum species exist in the gene banks and are important sources of new alleles. This review is primarily focused on the studies of genetic diversity of linseed species and evaluation related to tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress factors that could be useful for improving linseed through future promising breeding programs in addition to briefly discussing different morphotypes and nutraceutical importance. Wide diversity in linseed germplasm indicates a considerable potential for improving this crop for both agronomic and quality traits required for developing climate-resilience tailored to specific environments. Recent release of the flax genome sequence coupled with wide range of genomic and analytical tools in public domain has furthered understanding of molecular mechanisms for detailed study of the genes underlying flax adaptation to stress and diversity in commercially important accessions. Important climate related traits and their constituent genes are presented and key developments for the future highlighted emphasizing the urgent need to increase the use of genetically diverse germplasm to meet the emerging challenges in agricultural production and to conserve valuable genetic resources for the future.

Analysis of genetic diversity in Indian and exotic linseed germplasm and identification of trait specific superior accessions

“…Later it was introduced into New World (The Americas) after vast spread throughout Asia and Europe (Soto-Cerda 2013). Indian subcontinent near the Mediterranean Sea is known to have high biological diversity of genus (Genesar and Morris, 2003;Fu, 2005;Kaur 2017). Differential selection for fibre and oil purpose has led to two distinct morphotypes of linseed-flax type and linseed type, respectively.…”

Assessment of genetic diversity in linseed germplasm using morphological traits

“…Linum genus originated either in the Middle East or Indian regions and spread throughout Asia and Europe, and later into the New World (Soto-Cerda et al, 2013). The domestication of flax was also observed on the Indian subcontinent near the Mediterranean Sea and this region is known to have high biological diversity of genus Linum (Fu, 2005 andKaur, 2017). Divergent selection applied over thousands of years has resulted in flax and linseed types of Linum which are the same species but differ considerably in morphology, anatomy, physiol ogy, and agronomic performance (Soto-Cerda et al, 2013).…”

Identification of promising sources for drought tolerance in cultivated and wild species germplasm of barley based on root architecture

“…The best option to improve crop yield under drought stress is to develop drought-tolerant crop varieties (Ashraf et al, 2009;Pandey et al, 2010;Kaur et al, 2016Kaur et al, , 2017. The germplasm accessions including landraces and wild relatives of barley are reservoirs of a range of allelic variants, which can be used in breeding especially for tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought, heat, salinity, as well as pathogens (Shavrukov et al, 2010;Uçarlı et al, 2016).…”