Tuesday, November 6, 2007
164-6
Effect of Seedind Date on Oilseed Flax Production Grown Under a Cool Climate.
Denis Pageau and Julie Lajeunesse. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Agriculture & Agri Food Canada, 1468 St-Cyrille, Normandin, QC G8M 4K3, CANADA
Oilseed flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) production is important in Western Canada. However, in the province of Quebec (Canada), only a small area of flax is seeded and until now there is no management recommendations for this new crop. It is well known that early seedings improve grain yields of cereals in Eastern Canada. However, there is no data on the effect of seeding date on flax production in Quebec. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of seeding date on the productivity of flaxseed in a northern agricultural area. Four seeding dates (mid-May to mid-June) were evaluated during three years (2004 - 2006) with four cultivars (Emerson, Lightning, McDuff and Bethune). In 2004, seeding date had no significant effect on grain yield. In 2005, dry conditions reduced plant growth and no data were collected. In 2006, delayed seeding date reduced grain yield of all cultivars. The results suggest that oilseed flax grown under cool conditions should be seeded early in the season to obtain high yield and to reduce lodging.