Screening of Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivars for Biomass Yielding Capacities in Lithuania

In Lithuania, yielding potential of the industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) cultivars Beniko, Bialobrzeskie, Epsilon 68, Fedora 17, Felina 32, Futura 75, Santhica 27, USO 31, and Wojko was investigated at the Upyt? Experimental Station of LRCAF in 2010–2012. The results show that plants of industrial hemp cultivars tested could be successfully grown in Lithuania, despite the fact that all those cultivars were developed in the countries more southerly than Lithuania. The data of green above-ground biomass yield, its moisture content and absolutely dry mass yield are discussed. Plant density and its reduction during the growing seasons were also evaluated.     

Fiber Flax Breeding in China and Europe

In Western Europe fiber flax breeding was started in the Netherlands in 1816, and pedigree selection was introduced in 1900 in the Netherlands also. Therefore, the commercial breeding of fiber flax started at the end of the 19th century. Flax breeding in other European countries started in the early 20th century. Before Western European variety became available, European varieties seeds were imported from Russia. In China, breeding work on fiber flax began at 1950s. After the end of the 20th century, flax breeding technologies developed more rapidly. The flax breeding methods now include hybridization, induced mutation, interspecific hybridization, utilization of male-sterility, ploidy breeding, tissue culture, gene transformation, marker assisted selection, etc. Despite of new breeding methods, the cross breeding is still the main breeding method for fiber flax. The history of flax breeding, germplasm collection, breeding goals, breeding programs, breeding methods, and new varieties are presented in the article. Some problems about flax breeding were analyzed, and some suggestions were presented.