PRODUCTIVITY OF OILSEED FLAX IN A COMPETITIVE VARIETY TRIAL NURSERY

Abstract

The study was conducted in the competitive variety trial nursery of Agricultural experimental station “Zarechnoye” LLP in Kostanay region with the aim of a comprehensive evaluation of productivity and agronomic characters of oilseed flax (Linumusitatissimum L.) accessions of different ecological and geographical origin. The research relevance is determined by the need to identify high-yielding and adaptive genotypes resistant to the contrasting soil and climatic conditions of Northern Kazakhstan. The research objective was to identify the most productive and environmentally plastic accessions promising for further use in breeding programs and introduction into commercial cultivation. During the research, morphobiological and economically valuable traits were evaluated, including plant height, length of the growing season, thousand-seed weight, yield level, and seed oil content. Experimental data were processed using comparative analysis based on a complex of the studied traits. As a result of the competitive variety trial, significant differences among the accessions were established for the main productivity indicators. Accessions characterized by high yield (up to 17.0 c/ha), optimal growing season duration, and stable seed formation under varying weather conditions during the years of study were identified. The obtained results confirm the high efficiency of competitive variety testing as a key stage in oilseed flax breeding and make it possible to recommend the most promising accessions for further testing and subsequent introduction into agricultural production in the region.