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Flax is an old world crop from the Mediterranean region. Flax produces some of the world?s finest fiber. For centuries, this was Europe?s chief fiber. Fragments of woven flax fiber have been found in Switzerland that are 10,000 years old. Mummies in Egypt were wrapped in linen. However, flax production has declined with the introduction of synthetic fibers and polyesters after WWII, and must also compete with cotton and wool in a world market. Today flax is used for things like fire hoses.
Flax is a cool season crop and requires 16-30 inches of rainfall. Flax prefers well drained, medium to heavy soils. The shallow root system makes flax unadapted to sandy (droughy) soils. Flax was grown as a winter annual in the Mediterranean climate, and as a summer crop in the more northern regions of Europe.
Like other species, rotation is critical for flax. Disease buildup can be very damaging. A 3-6 year rotation is best. Flax does well in "new" ground or after a clean cultivated crop (like corn). Weeds can be a big problem as well.
1. Surface fiber: from surface of leaves, fruits and seeds.
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1. Old World crop - from Mediterranean region.
2. World?s finest bast fiber is lines.
3. For centuries this was Europe's chief fiber.
4. Swiss Lake dwellings, 10,000 years old, found fragments of woven flax fiber.
5. Egyptian mummies 4,000 years old wrapped in linen.
6. Today only one million tons fiber are grown, must compete with cotton, wool and synthetic fibers, polyesters. Must of it grown today is used for tough, flexible fabrics such as fire hose.
Adaptation
1. Moderate to cool temperatures required.
2. Rainfall 16-30 inches.
3. Post-flowering - seedflax needs moisture, cool
5. Well drained, medium to heavy soils (not light soils) because short root system, dependent on moisture in top two feet of soil.
Botany
1. Annual herbaceous, may be grown as a winter annual in warm climates.
2. Fiber flax: Distinct main stem, 37-48 inches. Seed flaxes shorter, self-pollinated.
Crop Rotations
1. Competes poorly with weeds.
2. Best on newly broken pastures or after a clean cultivated row crop or after a legume. Do not plant after a small grain, potatoes, or sugar beets.
3. Good companion for alfalfa, clover, or grass because does not compete well for light.
4. Small grain/legume/corn/flax.
5. Once every 3-6 years only due to disease problems.
Fiber-Flax Culture and Processing
1. Firm, weed-free seedbed.
2. P increased the fiber percentage.
N decreases the fiber percentage.
3. 4-16-8 mixture generally recommended.
4. Harvest when 1/3 to ? of the seed bolls are brown or yellow with fully developed brown seeds. Stems are yellow. If harvest too early the fibers lack strength. If harvest too late, the fibers brittle, poor spinning.
5. Europe, much of the harvesting is by hand - pulling.
6. Stems shocked and left in field to dry before retting.
7. Dew retting: leave stem in fields for weeks.
8. Ponds or tank retting: tied bundles are immersed; produces a superior fiber in a shorter time.
9. Scrunching: rollers t break central tissues and allow penphene bast fibers to be worked free.
10. The quality of the fiber ?slivers? determines the quality of the thread; over-retted fiber is inferior and blackish.
Use
1. World?s finest bast fiber is linen.
2. Clothing, tablecloths, toweling.
3. Linseed oil: 81% paints base for long time, now yielding to latex. The flax seed is 43% oil, and when exposed to O2, turns tough. Coating for paints, oil cloths, linoleum.
4. Linseed cake or meal is used as a feed for livestock, glossy coats.
5. Flax straw feeding values equal to wheat or oat straw.
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