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.
The current study was developed 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 when compared 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.
With the declining popularity of flax as a rotational crop choice in Manitoba, farmers need incentive to grow alternative crops. A longstanding complaint is that current flax cultivars are not keeping up with yield advances, similar to gains made in canola, soybeans and to a lesser extent, cereals. This disparity is what encourages a switch away from flax and into higheryielding, more profitable crops.
Flax does have an important role to fill in Manitoba. As a non-host crop for many of the major diseases in western Canada, flax is well suited to break disease cycles and provide a stable,
steady return as part of a balanced rotation. With the closure of breeding programs at Nutrien Ag
Solutions and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), 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.