Objectives
- Compare the seed and content of fourteen fiber flax varieties and two oilseed varieties at a location near Saskatoon in the year 2001
- Compare the seed yields, bast fiber content, and fiber yielding ability of two fiber flax varieties seeded both in rows and broadcast at 40 kg, 80 kg and 120 kg per hectare.
Project Description
To generate these results, two plot experiments, each with four replicates, were set up about 20 miles from Saskatoon, near Aberdeen, in May 2001 to produce seed and fiber. The variety trial consisted of fourteen fiber varieties and two oilseed varieties planted on May 24th using a seeding rate of 40 kg/ha in plots with dimensions of 7 meters by .22 meters. The seeding rate trial used two fiber varieties planted on May 24th at seeding rates of 40 kg/ha, 80 kg/ha and 120 kg/ha in plots with dimensions of 7 meters by 1.22 meters. Plots were sprayed for weed control at the appropriate time but a lack of moisture and the shallow seeding depth in the seeding method trail led to low or non-existent plant emergence for fiber collection.
Before combining, four or two ¼ m2 areas of plants were pulled out of the ground, wrapped, labeled and stored. Sub-samples of each of the stems of these pulled plants were prepared and retted by staff of Biolin. A reciprocating blade-type breaker/decorticator was used to roughly separate clean bast fibers from the retted dry straw and final cleaning of the bast fibers was done by hand to calculate fiber yields per hectare.
In September 2001, a plot harvester was used to cut the ripened seed bolls off the stems. The resultant seed was cleaned by ICMS and used to calculate the seed yield of each plot. It is now being stored at Biolin Research Inc. for use in further agronomic trials.
Variety Trial
The results of the variety trials showed that the average plot seed yield of fiber varieties ranged from 133 to 250 kg/ha and average plot seed yield from the oilseed varieties Flanders and Valour yielding 156 kg/ha and 184 kg/ha respectively.
The bast fiber content, expressed as a percent of unretted straw weight, varied from 14.1 to 22.0 percent in the fiber varieties. Only the two oilseed varieties, Flanders and Valour, had fiber contents that were significantly lower than the other tested varieties, at 12.0% and 11.2%, respectively.
The length of straw was assumed to be from the tips of the roots to the top of the seed bolls. The height of plants in plots ranged from 28 to 42 cm in the fiber varieties and 23 to 27 cm in the oilseed varieties, with Electra being significantly taller than Arriane, the “check” variety and Alba, Valour, Flanders and Viking were significantly shorter than Arriane.
The bast fiber yield per hectare was estimated by multiplying the percent of bast fiber in unretted stems by the weight of unretted salvaged straw. This calculation gave bast fiber yields that varied from 170 to 283 kg/ha in fiber varieties and Valour and Flanders, the two oilseed varieties, having significantly lower bast fiber yields of 53 and 59 kg/ha respectively.
Seeding Rate and Method Trial
In the case of the two varieties, Flanders and Hermes, planted by two seeding methods and at three different seeding rates. There was no real significance between seed yields at 40, 80 or 120 kg/ha due in part to a high c.v., but there was a significance between row and broadcast seeding with row seeding providing a higher seed yield. Fiber results were only on the row method as the broadcast method did not produce enough stems that could be tested due to low to non-existent moisture. The average bast fiber percent on unretted straw in row seeding was not significantly different between the three seeding rates but the variety, Hermes, had significantly higher fiber content than the variety, Flanders. Straw length was significantly different between the two varieties with Hermes being significantly taller than Flanders.
The seed yield results showed average plot results ranged from 46 to 259 kg/ha, with row seeding being significantly better than Broadcast seeding.
The bast fiber content in a single plot, expressed as a percent of unretted straw weight, varied from 10.6 to 18.9 percent, although all the averages had higher than 50% c.v. There was a significant difference between Flanders and Hermes with Hermes having a higher fiber content. There was no significant difference in bast fiber content among the seeding rates.
The length of straw was assumed to be from the tips of the roots to the top of the seed bolls. The average height of plants in plots ranged from 29 to 48 cm. There was a significant difference between varieties with Hermes being significantly taller than Flanders. Seeding rates had no significant effect on straw length.
The yield of bast fiber yield per hectare was estimated by multiplying the percent of bast fiber in unretted stems by the weight of unretted salvaged straw. This calculation gave bast fiber yields that varied from 176 to 323 kg/ha. Seed and straw yields, straw length and bast fiber yield were dramatically negatively impacted by the lack of moisture during the growing season.
There are large differences in the bast fiber and seed yielding ability of different fiber flax varieties that can be grown in Saskatchewan. Seeding rates and methods also appear to have significant impacts on such yields. Unfortunately, in this trial the drought impacted very negatively on being able to clearly separate out the expected differences. Resources were not available to determine how quality traits (e.g. fiber fineness) are affected by choice of variety and agronomic practice. More trials over more years and at more locations are needed to increase our knowledge base of what responses can be expected when we choose certain fiber flax varieties and agronomic practices.
