Flax Agronomy Northeast Agriculture Research Foundation Jessica - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Flax Agronomy Northeast Agriculture Research Foundation Jessica Pratchler, MSc Candidate, AAg Stewart Brandt, MSc.

§ One of the first crops brought to Canada in 1617 § 1888 first breeding effort though Experimental Farms Branch of AgCanada § Canada is the leading export of flax seed § Two types – oilseed and fiber production § High ALA (Alpha linolenic fatty acid) – good for human consumption § High Iodine – good for manufacturing of linoleum, ink, and paint

1. Petals, sepals, and anthers are all in 5 2. 5 compartments in the boll – 10 seeds can be developed 3. Flowering last 15 to 20 days 4. Physiologically mature when 75% bolls are ripe – swathing/desiccation stage 5. 5g/1000 seeds

Research Needed to: Rotational Benefits Yield Optimization Fertilizer Requirements Competition

§ Flax should be grown on cereal stubble § Canola and Mustard have negative consequences due to phytotoxicity, nutrient and moisture depletion. § Better on barley and wheat stubble over oat § Legume stubble can also yield good results as well. § No till better than conventional tillage § Flax stubble is good for most § Helps to break up disease and pest cycles § Little residue to harbor diseases, hinder soil warming, and ease of seed placement

§ Varieties § All have Rust resistance and at least moderate to Wilt § High ALA varieties can have light or dark seed coats § Solin varieties have low ALA varieties for directed markets § Choose between Traditional, Northern, or Specialty Varieties § Yield Comparisons (Sask. Crop Insurance) § 28 bu/ac CDC Glass – 2 years § 26 bu/ac Norlin and Nulin 50 – 5 years § 24 bu/ac CDC Sorrel and AC Prairie Blue – 5 years § Humboldt Area (Sask. Crop Insurance) § CDC Bethune and CDC Sorrel highest yielding last 5 years (25 bu/ac) § Highest majority of flax acres § Westlin 70 and AAC Bravo highest yielding last 2 years (27 bu/ac)

Limited ability to increase no. • flowers and flowers per plant along with few seeds per pod and small seed = need for lots of plants Need good sound, protected seed, • with good seed placement

§ Seeding Rate: 300 plants/m 2 – above 400 plants/m 2 prone to lodging § Seeding rate approximately 40 to 45 kg/ha (800 – 900 seeds/m 2 ) § Population control is difficult = need to ensure high, consistent establishment § Seeding Depth: 1 to 1.5 inches

§ Flax is not very competitive and has a fairly open canopy § Past research found that 6 – 8 in row spacing produces optimal agronomic performance § But, how many of you have drills on 6 to 8 inch row spacing? § 10 to 16 inch? § Above 16 inch? § So what is that doing to optimal agronomic performance of flax??

2015 2014 650 650 600 600 550 550 500 500 plants/m2 plants/m2 450 450 400 400 350 350 300 300 250 4 plants/m 2 14 plants/m 2 250 200 200 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 Row Spacing (inches) Row Spacing (inches)

50 2015 50 2014 45 45 40 40 35 35 30 bu/ac 30 bu/ac 25 25 20 .73 bu/ac 20 15 15 .44 bu/ac 10 10 5 5 0 0 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 Row Spacing (inches) Row Spacing (inches) 11

§ Significant decrease in plant stand with increased row spacing, BUT stand stayed above optimal levels § Yields declined with increasing row spacing, rate of decline is different each year § Research suggests § that seeding rates with different row spacing needs to be evaluated § If capable, continue to use narrower row spacing

Seeding Rates Low (35 kg/ha) Medium (55 kg/ha) High (70 kg/ha) Seeding Treatment (Insure Pulse) None Low Rate (300 ml/ 10kg seed) High Rate (600 ml/ 10kg seed)

Preliminary Result Seeding Rate = 0.0000*** 600 Population (plants m -2 ) (Melfort Seed Treatment = 0.1536 2016) 500 SR * ST = 0.6153 400 300 200 100 0 Untreated Low Rate ST High Rate ST Untreated Low Rate ST High Rate ST Untreated Low Rate ST High Rate ST 35 kg/ha 55 kg/ha 75 kg/ha

Seeding Rates Low (35 kg/ha) Medium (55 kg/ha) High (70 kg/ha) Seed Treatments Check Fungicide (Vitaflo) Nutrient (Awaken) Fungicide + Nutrient

1000 CHECK NUTR FUNG DUAL 900 a - Slight a a b 800 increase plant b plants / m 2 b 700 density with fungicide 600 A A treatment B B 500 400 - Possible increase with 300 nutrient 200 treatment 100 0 IH-13 ME-13 AVG 16

60 CHECK NUTR FUNG DUAL 55 - Although a treatment A A effect did not occur, 50 A A this might not be the 45 bu/ac case every year 40 - Efficacy of these 35 products is 30 dependent on 25 whether or not the disease is 20 present/environment 15 is favorable 10 IH-13 ME-13 AVG 17

§ Earlier § weed control, reduce disease and insect risk, earlier harvesting, and shorter stems § Can withstand -3 at cotelydon stage and -8 at 2-3 leaf stage § Later § Warmer soil § Northern Varieties adapt with better maturities to later seeding dates § Increasing seeding rate for earlier maturity § Yield and quality do not decline as seeding is delayed

§ Two Varieties § FP2454 and CDC Bethune § Two Seeding Dates § Early and Late May § Three Seeding Rates § 40, 55, and 70 kg/ha

Seed Date Seed Rate (lb/ac) Site Early Late P value Site 35-39 50 68-75 P value IH 48.0 45.3 0.150 IH 45.7 46.6 47.8 0.002 2013 2013 IH 20.1 20.9 0.849 IH 19.5 21.1 20.7 0.018 2014 2014 IH 36.5 36.3 0.582 IH 33.7 39.1 0.075 2015 2015 Melf 37.1 36.5 35.9 0.301 Melf 36.8 36.4 0.365 2014 2014 Optimal seeding rate does not Yield does not dramatically change appear to change with delayed with a delay in seeding rate seeding date

§ Yield increased between 40 and 55 kg/ha, then stabilized between 55 and 70 kg/ha § Later seeded traditional varieties yielded better than earlier, while Northern Varieties yielded the same at each seeding date § In Melfort, Northern variety yielded better than traditional by roughly 6% § Overall, where does flax fit best into your seeding schedule

Nutrient uptake • Flax is very dependent on mycorrhizae. • Fertilizer particularly P inhibits mycorrhizae • Need to have soil well supplied by P (and other nutrients) • Limit amount of fertilizer at seeding • Low fertilizer use efficiency

Potassium Nitrogen § Often non-limiting § Side or MRB § Can be combined with PKS in a Sulphur single band § often non-limiting Phosphorus Micronutrients § Sensitive to seed-placed P2O5 - § Yield increases generally not above 15 lb/ac not recommended obtained with application § Flax generally yields higher in § If warranted strip test to confirm fields with high residual P § Side or MRB § N&P together does change P uptake

Yield was not maximized Overall F-test: P < 0.001 (NR) 60 even at 150 kg/ha of N Linear: P < 0.001 Quadratic: P = 0.017 50 Almost 10 kg of N was needed Seed Yield (bu/ac) to increase flax yield by 1 bu/ac a 40 b b c While flax is responsive to 30 d fertilizer N, at higher flax prices it likely pays to use 20 higher rates 10 Area needed for further research 0 20 50 80 110 140 Nitrogen Rate (kg N/ha)

§ Brandon, Indian Head, Melfort, Redvers, Scott, Swift Current, Vegreville, and Yorkton § To determine the yield response of high yielding flax varieties to a range of side banded fertilizer varieties § Nitrogen (kg N/ha) § 0, 50, 100, and 150 § Phosphorus (kg P 2 O 5 /ha) § 0, 20, 40, and 60

Competitiveness § Flax develops slowly and has an open plant canopy § Good choice of effective herbicides for use on flax § Early weed control is essential as is a vigorous rapid growing crop

ADOPT BROADLEAF HERBICIDE DEMO (IH-2013) 1. Check (no broadleaf herbicide) 2. MCPA Ester 3. Authority (sulfentrazone) 4. Authority + Buctril M 5. Buctril M (MCPA + bromoxynil) 6. Curtail M (MCPA + clopyralid) 27

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Indian Head 2013 60 a ab ab ab 50 b Seed Yield (bu/ac) 40 c 30 20 10 0 Herbicide Treatment 31

§ Rust § Last major epidemic in 1970 § Only survives on flax § Genetic resistance – but potential for new races- § Pasmo § Above ground tissue and susceptible over entire growing season § Overwinters prefers high humidity and frequent rain § Defoliation, premature ripening, and boll drop § No genetic resistance – need fungicide § Powdery Mildew § Reported first in 1997 § Some genetic resistance § Also: Fusarium Wilt, Stem Break and Browning

Fungicide Treatments § Headline (0.6 L/ac) § Untreated 33

70 Site (S): P < 0.001 CHECK HEADLINE Fung (F): P < 0.001 60 S x F: P < 0.001 * 50 *** Seed Yield (bu/ac) ns 40 ns *** *** ns ns 30 ** 20 ns 10 0 34

§ Need better control over plant densities § Not every flax seed germinates – need better seed placement and narrower rows § Fine balance between too few plants and too many plants § Earlier seeding results in earlier harvest, but waiting till later may warm the soil enough to increase germination % § Flax response to fertilizer when residual levels are low, but preforms best in fields with high residual § Need to rely more on uptake by roots and mycorrhizae § Focus on residuals from rotational crops § Focus on fertilizer application in the year prior?