Authors: Zachary A. Pull, Burton L. Johnson, Brent S. Hulke, Greta G. Gramig
Publication Date: November 7, 2022
Abstract: Perennial Lewis flax (Linum lewisii Pursh) is a potential new crop that could provide both high quality oil seed and enhance agroecosystem sustainability by provisioning multiple ecosystem services. As a novel crop, determining agronomic best practices and non-chemical weed management tactics for perennial flax is critical for its continued development. We conducted several studies to meet these needs between 2020 and 2022. A spring-seeded trial of perennial flax sown with competitive intercrops aimed at weed management failed due to low crop emergence and high weed pressure. We explored thermal weed control via propane fueled flame in response to this failure, as more direct methods of weed control were deemed necessary. A subsequent greenhouse trial of flame weeding showed promise, with 90-100% weed control with varying mortality of seedling flax. We attempted flame weeding in frost seeded perennial flax stands planted in fall of 2020 in the spring of 2021. Unfortunately, flax emerged much earlier than expected, and flame weeding resulted in upwards of 80% stand loss. Inter-row cultivation was then employed in remaining flax stands to manage weeds in 2022. Flax harvest in July of 2022 yielded only 59.44 kg ha-1, with no yield differences between row spacings or population density. Our work with perennial flax demonstrates the challenge of assessing weed management in a novel crop. Further exploration of agronomic and weed management best practices, as well as genetic improvement, is necessary for the continued development of perennial Lewis flax as a viable crop.
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