The Influence of Selected Habitat and Agronomic Factors on the Yield of Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to determine the impact of selected habitat and agronomic factors on the yield of straw and flax seeds of fibrous flax (Linum usitatissimum L). The research factors were: soil agricultural suitability complex, soil pH, soil type and class, length of the vegetation period, nitrogen fertilization, and forecrop. The effect of the Sielianinov hydrothermal coefficient (K) on the yield of this plant was also studied. The paper presents results from 240 exact experiments with fibrous flax of the Nike variety. The research was carried out over 20 years at 12 experimental stations of COBORU – the Research Center for Cultivar Testing in Słupia Wielka, located in Poland. The research was conducted in the period 1985–2007. Flax straw yields were more dependent on the studied factors than seed yields. The crop of straw was favorably affected by cultivation on soils of the following types: good mountain and rye complex, the rendzina type and on soils of class III a and class III b. Of the forecrop tested – rapeseed was the best, and among the nitrogen fertilization levels, the best was highest dose exceeding 60 kg/ha. The soil pH did not affect the straw yield. The highest seed yield was found on the soil of good rye complex, rendzina type, and class V. However, soil pH, forecrop and level of nitrogen fertilization did not differentiate the level of seed yield. The length of the vegetation period differentiated the level of flax yields. The flax crop was positively affected by a longer vegetation period on the soil of cereal-mountain and good wheat complex, brown type with an acid reaction, where flax was cultivated after rape forecrop and the applied nitrogen dose was up to 40 kg/ha. A significant impact of the weather conditions expressed by the Sielianinov hydrothermal coefficient (K) on straw and seed yields was observed.