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Linseed bud-fly tolerant varieties Photo: placeholder pending image-fill pass

Linseed bud-fly tolerant varieties

The linseed bud fly (Dasineura lini Barnes, Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) is the most damaging pest of linseed (Linum usitatissimum) in central and eastern India and is the main biotic constraint addressed by linseed varietal breeding under AICRP-Linseed. The female fly lays eggs in opening flower buds; the maggot feeds inside the bud and prevents capsule formation. Yield losses on susceptible varieties reach 60-80 percent in north-eastern Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. A small but expanding set of bud-fly tolerant varieties is now recommended for these endemic tracts.

Key features of tolerant lines

  • Surabhi (LMS-71-2-2): bred at JNKVV Jabalpur, released 1997 — tolerant to bud fly, 100-115 days, 11-13 q/ha, 39-41 percent oil. Suited to north-east MP and Chhattisgarh.
  • JLS-9 (Sheela): JNKVV Jabalpur — tolerant to bud fly and rust, 110-115 days, 12-14 q/ha.
  • PKDL-41: Project Directorate of Linseed — tolerant, 105-115 days, 10-12 q/ha; suited to UP and Bihar.
  • Padmini (LCK-9211): CSAUAT Kanpur — tolerant to bud fly and powdery mildew, 110-120 days, 13-15 q/ha.
  • Shubhra (JLS-66): tolerant, suited to utera (paira) cropping in Chhattisgarh.
  • Indu (KL-187): medium-duration, tolerant, recommended for UP.

These cultivars are not immune; they show reduced flower-bud infestation (15-30 percent in epidemic years against 60-80 percent in checks like LCK-88062 / R-552). The tolerance is morphological-physiological (smaller calyx aperture, faster bud-to-flower transition) rather than antibiotic, so insecticidal cover at the bud-initiation stage is still recommended.

Cultivation

Bud-fly tolerant varieties are sown in the rabi season between mid-October and mid-November in the utera (relay) system over standing rice, or as a sole rainfed/limited-irrigation crop. Seed rate is 25-30 kg/ha at 25-30 cm row spacing under sole crop; 35-40 kg/ha for utera. Recommended NPK is 60:40:30 kg/ha with 20 kg/ha sulphur. One pre-flowering irrigation, where available, doubles yield.

Pest and disease profile

In addition to the partial tolerance to bud fly, several of these varieties (PKDL-41, Padmini, Sheela) also carry tolerance to rust (Melampsora lini), powdery mildew and wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lini). The Alternaria blight pathogen (Alternaria lini) remains a concern in late-sown crops and is managed with mancozeb 75 WP at 2.5 g/L. Bud-fly management is supplemented with two foliar sprays of dimethoate 30 EC at 1 ml/L or quinalphos 25 EC at 2 ml/L — first at bud initiation (45-50 DAS), second at 60-65 DAS.

Adoption and use

Bud-fly tolerant varieties together occupy a significant share of the linseed area in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and eastern UP. They are the recommended option for AICRP-Linseed front-line demonstrations and NFSM/NMOOP seed minikit distribution. Linseed produced from these varieties enters both the edible-oil channel (especially in central India), the alsi/flax-seed health-food market and the industrial drying-oil (paints, varnishes, linoleum) trade.

See also: Linseed cultivation in India, NMOOP oilseeds mission.

Sources

  1. AICRP-Linseed Annual Report. ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research.
  2. Linseed Varieties Catalogue. ICAR-IIOR, Hyderabad.
  3. Project Coordinator Report on Linseed. CSAUAT, Kanpur.