INHERITANCE AND CHARACTERIZATION OF 2 LOW LINOLENIC ACID EMS-INDUCED MCGREGOR MUTANT FLAX (LINUM-USITATISSIMUM)

Mutagens [e.g. EMS (ethyl methane sulphonate)] are sometimes used to g enerate variability in oil crops when variability is lacking in natura l populations, or when strong interspecific crossing barriers prevent hybridization with relatives. It is imperative to conduct genetic stud ies on beneficial mutants before they can be effectively used in a bre eding program. This study was conducted to study the inheritance, and characterize two ''apparent'' low linolenic acid EMS-induced McGregor flax mutants (E1929, and E1536) that appeared to be quite different fr om E1747, a linolenic acid deficient McGregor flax mutant which has be en extensively studied. Diallele crosses involving 1) E1929, E1536, an d McGregor, and 2) E1929, E1536, and E1747 were made. Gas chromatograp hy analyses of fatty acids from seed oil of F-1 and F-2 populations in dicated that E1929 resulted from a reduction in Delta 15 desaturase ac tivity, and that the control of the trait is by a single recessive gen e. The E1929 gene appears to be allelic to one of the two genes posses sed by E1747. E1929 was characterized as a ''moderately low linolenic- high oleic acid mutant''. E1536 could not be characterized with the av ailable data.