The Korean Journal of Crop Science ISSN:0252-9777(Print) 2287-8432(Online) 한국작물학회지

In this study, agronomic characteristics and fatty acid composition of 121 flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) germplasms were analyzed. The flax germplasms had a fairly short growth period of 75-95 days. The plant height at maturity varied from 52 to 124 cm. The flower color varied from white to lilac and even purple. Early flowering flax germplasms had white flowers and were resistant to lodging. In early flowering flax germplasms, all agronomic characteristics, including growth period, plant height, branch number per plant, stem diameter, number of capsules per raceme, seed number per capsule, 1000-seed weight, and seed yield, were decreased. The average fatty acid composition of 121 flax germplasms comprised palmitic acid (5.3%), stearic acid (4.3%), oleic acid (29.7%), linoleic acid (13.1%) and linolenic acid (46.4%). The total content of unsaturated fatty acids ranged from 84~94% with an average of 88%. Among the fatty acids, linolenic acid (omega-3) content was the highest with a range of 36~54%. In five selected flax germplasms (Hollandia 1803, Red son, C & F Res Br 1767, Wiera, and Ireland 1657) with high linolenic acid (≥51%), total lipid and protein contents were 30~36% and 5.4~6.9%, respectively. Overall, flax can practically be adoptable into cropping systems in South Korea and utilized as a scenery crop, since flax has a short cultivation period with diverse flower colors.