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Maturity and Yield of Seedflax in Controlled Environments: Effects of Root Environment¹

In controlled environment studies with flax (Linumusitatisslmum L.), plants grown in aerated nutrient solution flowered in cycles, produced more than one set of bolls, anti often retained much green leaf and stem tissue when ha~rvested at 90 days of age. Plants receiving the same total nutrient application, but grown in vermiculite watered with nutrient solution, produced only one set of bolls and then senesced. Senescence of plants in vermiculite was delayed slightly by an increase in the depth of the container in which the plants were grown and by 13hr photoperiod as compared to 19-hr photoperiod. Maturation of ]plants grown in liquid culture was retarded by cooling the root zone to 15 or 20 C in an aerial environment with 30/20 C day/night temperature.

Seed and oil yields per plant were reduced by increased number of plants per pot, increased osmotic pressure of the nutrient solution, reduced root zone volume, and reduced root zone temperatures. Seed weight (g/l,000 seeds) and oil content were reduced by 15 C root zone temperature and by 10 arm osmotic pressure. Iodine value of the oil was only slightly influenced by root environment. Plants grown in liquid culture medium were more affected by aerial environment than plants grown in vermiculite.

Key Words: Root temperature • Osmotic presure • Drought • Iodine value

² Plant Physiologist, Crops Research Division, Brookings, S. Dak. 57006. The author is grateful to W. L. Tucker, Experiment Station Statistician, South Dakota State University, and R. A. Carsrud, Crops Research Division, for technical assistance in all phases of this investigation.

Received for publication January 23, 1969.