Determining agronomic suitability of European flax (linseed) cultivars in Manitoba
Manitoba Flax Growers Association (MFGA), Parkland Crop Diversification
Foundation (PCDF), Prairies East Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (PESAI),
Westman Agricultural Diversification Organization (WADO), Crop Development
Centre (CDC), BASF (financial support) and varietal sponsors Limagrain Nederland
and van de Bilt saden en vlas.
To examine agronomic attributes (yield, height, maturity) of European-origin flaxseed cultivars and to see if they have a competitive advantage and agroclimatic fit within Manitoba flax production areas.
Dry and drought-like conditions at the test sites contributed to overall lower yields particularly at Arborg
site, as evidenced by low commercial yield across the province according to Manitoba Agricultural Insurance Corporation (MASC). Provincial average yields were 26 and 20 bu/acre in 2018 and 2019, respectively, compared to the 10-year average of 22 bu/acre. Rainfall distribution and time of arrival played an important role in crop development, affecting plant height and yield across the three test locations (Tables 2 & 3).
Short-stature flax was a result of continued moisture stress, along with overall thinner than ideal stands and the opportunity for weed competition. European flax lines were consistently shorter whencompared to CDC Bethune, ranging from 4 to 10 centimeters shorter than check in both years.
Overall days to maturity (DTM) were +1 to -5 days from the 87 DTM CDC Bethune rating in 2018 (Table
5), while in 2019 all European lines took 6 to 9 days longer than the check. Correspondingly, flowering
period in European flax cultivars was +1 to -7 days in variance from the average 21 days of CDC Bethune
in 2018 (Table 6). In 2019, flowering period lengthened overall and European cultivars ranged from +4 to
-1 days against a check variety flowering length of 34 days.
Despite the declining role of flax in Manitoba, the crop has an important role for its ability to break disease cycles and provide a stable, steady return as part of a balanced rotation. Currently, only a single flax breeder remains in Canada at the Crop Development Centre (CDC) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. With the introduction and evaluation of European lines, a higher yielding cultivar, or a cultivar with more desirable quality characteristics may be found to be well suited to Manitoba’s agro-climate.