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INVESTIGATOR: Kering, M. K.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY
PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 23803

LIMING AND FLAX YIELD POTENTIAL IN MID-ATLANTIC REGION: PRE-POSITIONING THE STATE FOR ALTERNATIVE FIBER AND GRAIN CROP

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: There is increasing attention to alternative grain and fiber crops to meet emerging textile and food industry demands. Flax is a grain and fiber crop whose residual material has potential application in the bio-energy and building industry. Flax seed and oil has good nutritional qualities and is reported to reduce diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and stroke in humans and improve reproductive performance and weaning weights in animals. Consumption of flax seed- and linseed oil-derived foods may benefit low income communities where diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases are common. Flax fiber produce quality linen and is used to blend low quality fibers. The crop is produced in the northern US and Canada in spring, but in the US southern states where winters are relatively mild, it has been grown as a winter crop. While flax can be grown in spring in mid-latitude east-coast states including the Commonwealth of Virginia, fall planting may be possible because extreme winter temperatures are moderated by Atlantic Ocean currents. Beside additional production period, producing flax in the fall reduces competition for land resource with major crops in spring. As an annual, flax fits in crop rotations and help reduce use of agro-chemicals in Chesapeake Bay water catchment area. Therefore, as the mid-Atlantic region position itself to benefit from expanding new fiber/grain industry, it is important to evaluate performance of flax and its potential to meet existing and future market demands. We intent to carry out field experiments to evaluate growth performance and yield potential of different varieties of flax produced for seed and/or fiber. The project will also evaluate the productivity of the crop at different planting dates and at different planting season (spring/fall production). The project will be able to come up with knowledge on flax varieties with both agronomic and potential for production in the mid-Atlantic region. By identifying flax varieties for production, the project will diversify producer's income base by increasing cropping options and if adopted and produced, it will not only increasing local flax production but will also reduce US flax imports. Availability of locally produced crop, will reduced the cost of flax products for local consumers. This will be an economic benefit to local consumers as food and other industries depended on imported flax and flax products reduce their production cost bu using locally produced resource.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of the project is to evaluate performance of flax in the mid-Atlantic regionThe specific objectivesGrowth and performance as affected by liming amendment, planting season and planting date will be evaluated and specific data to be obtained includeBiomass yield and or fiberSeed yield and qualityOil yield and compositionSee cake yield and quality as animal supplement