Integrated agronomy for high yield and stable flax production in Canada

Abstract

Integrating agronomic practices can be useful in increasing flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) yield under biotic or abiotic constraints. A study was conducted to determine the combined effect of seeding density, row spacing, fertilizer, and fungicide application on no-till flax yields at three locations (7 site-years) in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada. The four treatments were plant density; low (190 plants m -2 ) vs. moderate (320 plants m -2 ), row spacing; narrow (20 cm) vs. wide-row (40 cm), N rate; 65 vs. 130% of soil test recommendation, and foliar fungicide; pyraclostrobin + fluxapyroxad vs. no fungicide. No individual treatment parameter significantly affected yield; however, several combinations of treatments did. The combination of moderate density, narrow row spacing, 130% N, and fungicide application showed a 23% mean yield increase across all environments compared with the lowest-yielding combination. Still, yield ranking differed across different growing environments. The overall high-yielding combination was not productive under low-yielding environments. The same high-yielding combination, but with wide row spacing and the same combination with low density provided the most stable and moderate yield across all environments tested. Considering seed cost, yield advantage, and yield stability, the best combination was low density, narrow row spacing with 130% N and fungicide application. Among all practices, the combined application of 130% N and fungicide application significantly increased crop yield by 11% under all growing conditions. In the absence of negative interactions, producers can combine these four practices to increase flax yields depending on the cost.

Variety and Sowing Date Affect Seed Yield and Chemical Composition of Linseed Grown under Organic Production System in a Semiarid Mediterranean Environment

“…Moreover, despite the great phenotypic plasticity of linseed, with a great ability to respond to changed spacing, compensating for low plant populations through extensive branching [33,39], our findings showed no significant correlation between plant density and number of stems per plant. On the contrary, plant density negatively affected the number of capsule plant −1 according to Benaragama et al [40]. Lower plants density at SPG in autumn sowing was probably due to the exceptional rainfall which occurred in the 2020-2021 autumn/winter season, which may have caused a significant degree of plant losses in the first development stages.…”

Pyrolysis and Combustion Behavior of Flax Straw as Biomass: Evaluation of Kinetic, Thermodynamic Parameters, and Qualitative Analysis of Degradation Products

“…Flax straw is an abundant agricultural waste material in Saskatchewan, Canada, with a vast agricultural land area of 77.3 million hectares that yields considerable quantities of biomass residues [8]. The province's annual production rate of approximately 750 thousand tons in 2020 has made it one of the leading exporters of flax straw, a promising renewable energy feedstock; optimal utilization of this resource could significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption, subsequently leading to a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions as well instead of letting it go to waste [8]. In addition to reducing waste production in the province, this would also provide a renewable and sustainable source of energy [9].…”