Daily Flower Production, Rate of Seed, and Fiber Flax Cultivars as Related to Seed Yield

Abstract

Flower production of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) should be directly related to the yield component fruits per area, but past studies have shown that neither total flowers nor length of bloom was as effective as daily flower production rate for modeling seed yield of one cuitivar. The objective of this study was to develop procedures relating flower production to seed yield and its components for a number of other cultivars of diverse yield, maturity, and utilization types. Total flowers, duration of bloom, and seed yield were estimated from daily flowering for 18 cultivars and experimental lines grown 4 yr in the field. Relationships between flowering and components of yield were evaluated by path coefficient analysis. Two previously developed equations estimated total flowers within ± 20% of observed values, six estimate duration of bloom within ± 10%, and none estimated yield within ± 50%. Yield estimates were improved when the data set was limited to plots with yield levels above 1000 kg ha‐1. New equations were derived that related maximum daily flower production rate (slope at the inflection point of cumulative flower count plotted over time) and flower count on the 14th day of the bloom period to yield for six types of flax. Path coefficient analysis showed that seed yields from fiber and low yield seed flax were more directly affected by total flower production and flower abortion than were yields of high yield seed flax cultivars. Duration of bloom was negatively correlated to seed yield for most types of flax. We conclude that maximum daily flower production rate may be a growth function that relates vigor during flowering to seed yield at harvest.