COMPARISON OF PEDIGREE SELECTION AND SINGLE SEED DESCENT FOR OIL YIELD IN LINSEED (LINUM-USITATISSIMUM L)

Four populations of linseed derived from five parents were advanced fr om the F-2 to the F-6 generation by SSD and to the F-5 by pedigree sel ection. These populations were used to compare the efficiency of the t wo methods in order to provide superior genotypes with respect to grai n yield and oil content, i.e. oil yield. The results showed minimum di fferences between pedigree and SSD lines for grain yield, where in onl y one cross the SSD lines were significantly superior to the pedigree lines. Since pedigree selection was carried out for both, seed yield a nd oil content, a positive response to selection was expected. However , early selection for yield, a character with low heritability, was no t successful. On the contrary, significant differences for oil content were detected between the two groups of lines in three of the four cr osses studied. In these cases the pedigree lines were superior to the SSD lines. These results demonstrate that strict selection in early ge nerations for oil content, a character with comparatively high heritab ility, is feasible and successful in linseed. However, selection for s eed yield should be postponed to later inbred generations. Consequentl y, in breeding for maximum oil yield of linseed a two-step selection p rocedure is recommended.