VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION OF FLAX BY STEM CUTTINGS

Abstract

Stem cuttings of Redwood 65 flax plants (Linum usitatissimum L.) of various lengths and from different locations on the plants were rooted under four environments. The resulting plants were evaluated for vigor, root development, seed quality, and seed yield. Treating cuttings with indole-3-butyric acid and rooting in a chamber with intermittent mist stimulated root development and produced vigorous plants. The addition of CO2 to the mist had no significant affect on rooting or seed production. Cuttings 5 cm long produced more vigorous plants with greater seed yield per plant than from cuttings 2 cm long. The shorter cuttings, however, produced a larger number of total seeds and larger total seed weight from a single original plant. Cuttings from the terminal 4 cm of stems or tillers produced the most seed which consistently had a higher oil and linolenic acid content but a lower oleic acid content than cuttings from other positions on the plant. To maintain low intraplant standard deviations, this portion of the plant should not be used. The standard deviation, among plants produced from cuttings, for oil content and fatty acid composition is considerably lower than between individual plants grown from seed. Thus, the use of cuttings is particularly applicable in studies where small numbers of uniform plants are required or where a maximum number of seeds from a single plant is desired.