Department of Botany, B. R. College, Bichpuri, Agra
*This work was carried out under a research scheme entitled “Studies on mechanism of male-sterility in crop plants” and financed by C.S.I.R., New Delhi.
Fifteen commercial varieties of Indian linseed and two wild species were used in crosses with three male-sterile lines introduced from U.S.A. The various varieties and species used were evaluated for the presence of Ms ms alleles and the nature of cytoplasm. It was found that except for N.P. (RR)9, none of the Indian varieties or the two wild species, viz., L. africanum and L. angustifolium, possess fertility restoring factor Ms Ms. No sterile cytoplasm is present in the Indian stock. Among the various male-sterile hybrids the extent of natural crossing was found to be associated with degree of floral opening and size of petals.
