ISSN 1691-5402
ISBN 978-9984-44-071-2
Environment. Technology. Resources
Proceedings of the 8th International Scientific and Practical Conference. Volume I1
© Rēzeknes Augstskola, Rēzekne, RA Izdevniecība, 2011
COMPARATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL AND COMMERCIAL
EVALUATION OF FLAX VARIETIES FOR THE REVIVAL OF FLAX
GROWING IN LATVIA
Silvija Kukle1, Veneranda Stramkale2, Dace Kalniņa1,
Dagmāra Prīberga1, Guntis Strazds3
1- Riga Technical University, Department of Design and Textile Products Technology
Azenes St14/24, Riga, LV 1048, Latvia
Ph.: +(371 ) 67089816, fax: +(371) 67089816, e-mail: sv85@inbox.lv
2- Agriculture Science Centre of Latgale
Kulturas sq. 1a, Vilani, Rezeknes distr., LV 4650
Ph.: +371 64628140, +371 29465004, e-pasts: strzin@apollo.lv
3- Association of Textile and Clothing Industry
Ph.: +371 29488338
Abstract. As renewable raw material flax increasingly gain more importance as the range of its use is
spreading more and more. Besides the conventional uses in home textiles, clothing and sails products, demand
of flax raw materials for technical uses increases rapidly as flax fibers have high specific properties, become
components of biodegradable composites, environmental friendly isolation materials, besides flax shives pay
attention as well as components of environment friendly building materials. Unfortunately in Latvia during last
decades flax crop production had decreased rapidly and nowadays reintroduction of flax growing traditions
and conditions are become more and more actual. In spite of depression in sector, in Agriculture Science
Centre of Latgale are not interrupted experiments on development of local flax lines. Field trials were sown at
the Centre in 2010 and 98 flax lines investigated. In this article reflected analysis results of one perspective
local fibers flax line from different aspects and its properties comparison with the standard fibers flax variety
Vega 2.
Keywords: flax, fibers, variety, bast crop production, biodegradable, renewable recourses.
Introduction
In conformity with the world trend a more intensive use of renewable raw materials gets more
and more attention from police makers and scientists. Bast crop production is one of
opportunity to supply renewable raw materials for a wide range of applications. In the same
time it is an important key to the creation of employment in crop growing and processing
areas and the development of a sustainable economy of the region and country.
As renewable raw material flax increasingly gain more importance as the range of its use is
spreading rapidly. Besides the conventional uses in home textiles, clothing and sails products,
demand of flax raw materials increases for technical uses as flax fibers have high specific
properties: a low density, water absorption, they are soft and flexible, stronger than cotton or
wool. Moreover, all flax components are recyclable and fully combustible without the
production of noxious gases, can be obtained at a comparatively low cost. Strength and
biodegradability attract attention as reinforcement of partly or fully biodegradable fiber plastic
composites and breathing isolation materials. Even the woody core shives, which are removed
during scutching, are used for particleboards and animal bedding (9)
As flax is a crop for temperate regions and requires abundant moisture and cool weather
during the growing season (Berger, 1969) it meets proper Latvian climate conditions.
Although climate conditions is favourable for flax cultivation, during last decades flax crop
production in country was decreased fast (Developm., 2006). At the same time flax is one of
the oldest sources of textile fibers used all around in the world as well in Latvia too. At the
225
Kukle S., Stramkale V., Kalniņa D., Prīberga D., Strazds G. COMPARATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL AND
COMMERCIAL EVALUATION OF FLAX VARIETIES FOR THE REVIVAL OF FLAX GROWING IN LATVIA
first part of twenty century Latvia was successful in flax fibers export to European countries.
Nowadays flax fibers is a scarce resource in Latvia, our linen producers are almost fully
dependent from imports (Fig. 1).
Export, kg
Import, kg
1 950 000
1 750 000
1 550 000
Value
1 350 000
1 150 000
950 000
750 000
550 000
350 000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Year
Fig. 1. Latvian flax fibers export-import balance2
Materials, methods
The reintroduction of a crop involves the question of quality and predictability, as well as the
environmental conditions under which profitable production may be undertaken. Varieties
enter into the quality and predictability of the crop. The object of our work has been to
determine which variety is most desirable from the standpoint of fiber production and
determine predictability of agronomical, commercial and technological properties. In order to
solve this problem, a comparative study of properties of available local 98 flax varieties/lines
cultivated in field experiments in Agriculture Science Centre of Latgale at 2010 was made,
following the routine methods (Stramk., 2009) and compared with the corresponding
properties of Lithuanian variety Vega 2 as a standard. Summer of year 2010 with high
temperatures and unsufficient rains was quite unfavorable for flax growing. Varieties were
evaluated and compared for 8 commercial and fibers production variables (Stramk, 2010), a
description of variations in the performance of fiber flax varieties is also necessary as current
guidance and the differences between the varieties were analysed. As for varieties and lines
under inspection variability of properties are high, analysis is carried out by using methods of
mathematic statistics such as descriptive statistics, correlation, distribution curves and
regression analysis.
To investigate interdependence between variables with influence on fibres productivity
correlation coefficients R are calculated for variables average values of all 98 varieties (Table
1). Largest values of correlation coefficient take place between unretted stem yield and bast
and shives yield, respectively R = 0,78 and 0,73, corresponding determination coefficients 61
% and 53 %; more impact on retted stem yield has shives yield (R = 0,83), less fibres yield –
R = 0,7. Coefficients with values in range from 0,7 till 0,5 witness on medium strong
correlation between unretted and retted stem yield (0,61), bast and fibres content (0,66), retted
shives and fibres densities (0,65); values close to 0,2 or less present evidence that no
correlation between corresponding variables at all. It means that after retting correlation
absent between fibres yield and fibres content, stem yield and fibres content.
As it is not easy in flax growing practice to make decisions with a line of variables, all range
of varieties/lines were sorted by fibers content and by fibers yield, as a result first 12 varieties
with the best values of main parameter are separated (fig.2 and 3).
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Kukle S., Stramkale V., Kalniņa D., Prīberga D., Strazds G. COMPARATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL AND
COMMERCIAL EVALUATION OF FLAX VARIETIES FOR THE REVIVAL OF FLAX GROWING IN LATVIA
Table 1.
Correlation matrix
Unreted
Stem
yield,
g/m2
Bast
content,
%
Dew reted
Bast
yield,
g/m2
Shives
yield,
g/m2
Stem
yield,
g/m2
Fibers
content,
%
Fibers
yield,
g/m2
Stem yield,
g/m2
1,00
Bast
content, %
0,29
1,00
Bast yield,
g/m2
0,78
0,38
1,00
Shives
yield, g/m2
0,73
0,23
0,72
1,00
0,61
0,31
0,70
0,58
1,00
0,21
0,66
0,28
0,10
0,16
1,00
0,56
0,33
0,61
0,41
0,70
0,29
1,00
0,58
0,18
0,57
0,52
0,83
0,09
0,65
Stem yield,
g/m2
Fibers
content, %
Fibers
yield, g/m2
Shives
yield, g/m 2
Shives
yield,
g/m 2
1,00
As seen from Fig. 2 graph for all 12 selected varieties/lines fibres contents are higher then for
standard variety Vega 2 (for line S37-11/15-93 diference 22 %). The graph testify that inside
this short range correlation between bast content and fibers content after dew retting absent
too.
Bast content, %
Fibers content, %
42
40
38
36
34
32
30
28
26
24
22
ST Vega 2
S29/3-7/3-93
T31-59-94
I18-2-98
T29-14/4-2-94
K30-14/14/-11-95
S37-20/4-93
S38/4-10-93
S38/4-7-93
T29-17/6-1-94
S29/3-5/1-93
S37-2/3-93
S37-11/15-93
20
Fig. 2. Alteration of fiber contents after dew retting
Sorting results by fiber yield values shown in Fig.3 represent first twelve favourable by this
property flax lines. Diference between line with higher rank and standard variety is quite
227
Kukle S., Stramkale V., Kalniņa D., Prīberga D., Strazds G. COMPARATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL AND
COMMERCIAL EVALUATION OF FLAX VARIETIES FOR THE REVIVAL OF FLAX GROWING IN LATVIA
impressive - 43,6 %. It is not hard to see from Table 2 that varieties/lines in both columns
are different. As a cosequence question arise which of these two properties are more
important? More commercial is second one – customers pay for fibers yield.
Fibers yield, g/m2
Shives yield, g/m2
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
ST Vega 2
T11-13/3-1-94
I18-5-98
S13/5-29/7-93
I7-5-98
T29-36/7-1-94
I18-3-98
T36-10/12-5-94
I7-6-98
T36-36/1-7-94
T31-54-94
S37-12/14-93
T36-16/5-7-94
0
Fig. 3. Alteration of flax fiber yield after dew retting
Table 2.
Comparative range of flax lines sorted by fibers content and
fibers density after dew retting
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Flax variety/line
Sorted by fibers Sorted by fibers
content
yield
S37-11/15-93
T36-16/5-7-94
S37-2/3-93
S37-12/14-93
S29/3-5/1-93
T31-54-94
T29-17/6-1-94
T36-36/1-7-94
S38/4-7-93
I7-6-98
S38/4-10-93
T36-10/12-5-94
S37-20/4-93
I18-3-98
K30-14/14/-11-95
T29-36/7-1-94
T29-14/4-2-94
I7-5-98
I18-2-98
S13/5-29/7-93
T31-59-94
I18-5-98
S29/3-7/3-93
T11-13/3-1-94
From a technological viewpoint fiber yield is more important too, but not less important are
technological properties which are differ dependent on technology applied for processing and
end usage of fibres. Important for most applications are fibres tensile properties. In this
article is compared tensile strength of a small fiber bundles prepared for testing with 3 mm
distance between clamps, testing clamp velocity 150 mm/min. of local variety T36-16/5-7-94
and standard Vega 2. In the result of tensile tests of one hundred samples from line T36-16/5-
228
Kukle S., Stramkale V., Kalniņa D., Prīberga D., Strazds G. COMPARATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL AND
COMMERCIAL EVALUATION OF FLAX VARIETIES FOR THE REVIVAL OF FLAX GROWING IN LATVIA
7-94 and standard variety Vega 2 is found out that average tensile strenght of T36-16/5-7-94
is almost 2 times higher than for Vega 2 fibers (Table 3).
Table 3.
Comparative tensile strength parameters of flax line T36-16/5-7-94 and variety Vega 2
Average,
N
10,35
Vega 2
20,40
T36-16/5-7-94
97%
Diference, %
Mode,
N
10,30
18,00
75%
Median,
N
10,30
19,25
87%
Frequency
30
Range,
N
16,7
17,2
3%
Absolute
deviation, N
0,37
0,42
15%
Cumulative %
120%
100%
20
80%
15
60%
10
40%
5
20%
0
0%
More
30,00
28,28
26,56
24,84
23,12
21,40
19,68
17,96
16,24
14,52
Frequenc
25
Tensile strength, N
Fig. 4. Tensile strength histogram of flax line T36-16/5-7-94
Results and discussion
As seen from tables 2 and 3 identified flax line T36-16/5-7-94 developed in Agriculture
Science Centre of Latgale shows higher fiber yield in 2010 as standard variety Vega 2 (43,6
%) and quite high fibres content - 37,7 %. From commercial viewpoint line T36-16/5-7-94 is
quite promising breeding line for further developments to create flax variety resistant to dry
and warm weather conditions during vegetation period.
Agriculturally important traits, such as flax total plant height 90 cm, technical plant height
78,2 cm (higher then for the selected best lines in period 2007-2008, Grauda, 2009 and
TOND., 2003), logging resistance 9, vegetation period 75 days, yield of straws 6130 kg/ha
and yield of seeds 670 kg/ha (Stramk., 2010) are reasonable. Comparison of properties of the
line T36-16/5-7-94 with properties of the line S37-11/15-93 shows that flax average total
plant height 84,4 cm and technical plant height 73,8 cm are lower, logging resistance 10
higher, vegetation period 81 days longer, yield of straws 5430 kg/ha lower, and yield of seeds
1160 kg/ha (Stramk, 2010) higher then corresponding agricultural properties of the line T3616/5-7-94. Retted fibres yield is 1,38 times higher for the flax line T36-16/5-7-94 to compare
with S37-11/15-93.
229
5
20%
0
0%
More
40%
22,50
10
20,50
60%
18,50
15
16,50
80%
14,50
20
12,50
100%
10,50
25
8,50
120%
6,50
30
4,50
Frequenc
Kukle S., Stramkale V., Kalniņa D., Prīberga D., Strazds G. COMPARATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL AND
COMMERCIAL EVALUATION OF FLAX VARIETIES FOR THE REVIVAL OF FLAX GROWING IN LATVIA
Tensile strength, N
Frequency
Cumulative %
Fig. 5. Tensile strength histogram of flax standard variety Vega 2
To evaluate this variety from technological and usage viewpoints from Table 3 and compare
graphs of Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 we can see that flax line’s T36-16/5-7-94 all main parameters of
tensile strength distribution are higher then for Vega 2 (Table 3). Distribution in entirety of
T36-16/5-7-94 is shifted to higher tensile strength values compare with histogram of Vega 2
(Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) and is missing quite voluminous (~ 30 %) segment of fibres with tensile
strength 6,5 N and less. Inspected characteristics are important for flax fibres processed into
consumer or technical textiles or composite materials.
Conclusions
Flax breeding line T36-16/5-7-94 shows higher agricultural, commercial and technological
properties resisting to unfavourable for the flax cultivation climate conditions at summer of
year 2010 and in that way is treated as a serious candidate for the development of local fibres
flax variety with medium long vegetation period, resistant to extreme weather conditions and
with good commercial and technical performance.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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