🥼 Linseed

Linseed (Flax)

• Botanical Name: Linum usitatisium (2n = 30)
• Family: Linaceae
• Origin: Afghanistan
• It is called Old world fiber. Of late in India, it is used primarily for oilseed. Linseed fiber or flax first of the vegetable fiber spun to cloth. Oil in seed was used only later.
• When grown for fiber called as fiber flax. When identified for oil then oil flax or seed flax or linseed, Linola (Edible linseed).
• Fiber of linseed is called as Reflex. Fibers are lustrous and blend well with wool, silk and cotton.
• Linseed crop contains 40-42 per cent oil, 20 per cent protein, 50-60 per cent linolinic acid and 5-6 per cent fibre.
• 80% oil is used for industrial purpose. Oil cake good for milch animal and as manure.
• Stem yield good quality fiber (linen) having strength and durability.

Climate

• Require moderate to cool temperature during vegetative.

Soil

• Variety of soils except sandy and poorly drained soils.
• Well drained fertile, medium heavy soils, silty loam, clay loam and silty clay are best.
• Soil pH 5.0 to 7.0
• Sowing time: October to November
• Seed rate: 25-30 kg/ha (Utera crop – 35 to 40 kg/ha)
• Spacing: 30 x 5 cm
• Depth: 2-3 cm, shallow seeding is good.
• Irrigation: 4-5 irrigations
• Critical stages:
  1. 4-5 leaf stage
  2. Tillering stage
  3. Flower stage
  4. Pod filling stage

Varieties:

• For ‘Rice fallow’: R-552
• For rainfed: Kiran, Sheetal
• For both rainfed & irrigated situation of Assam, Bihar, WB & Punjab: Shubra, Himalini
• Nutrient management: 60 : 40 : 20 kg NPK/ha.
• Intercropping: Wheat + Linseed (4:1) Gram + Linseed (1:1)
• Weed control: Fluchloralin @ 1.0 kg ai/ha or Pendimethalin 1.0 kg ai/ha.
• Yield: 12-18 qt/ha

Disease:

• Rust: Melampsora lini
• Fusarium Wilt: Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Lini
• Powdery Mildew: Oidium lini

⭐️ Retting : “It is a process of treatment of stalks for final fibre extraction”.

👉🏻 Process: Linseed stalked chopped at top end, tied in small bundle, and then shifting in available water source, stalked tied and allowed to remain immersed in water till retting is completed. For uniform retting, bundle should be turned by replacement upper layer to lower layer after 2-3 days.