Flax Day 2010 Industry Sustainability: The Path Ahead Northern Adapted Flax Variety Development...

Flax Day 2010 Industry Sustainability:

The Path Ahead

Northern Adapted Flax Variety Development Project

Paul Dribnenki, Flax Breeder

World Record Flax Yield???

Northern Adapted Flax Project:

To develop Flax and NuLin varieties

better adapted to the short and mid

season zones of the prairies

To determine the best agronomic practices for these varieties

NAF Project Administered by SaskFlax

Confirmed funding: $1,907.437 (63%)SaskFlax $250,000SaskFlax $ 75,000 (in-kind

administration)BCGPA $ 60,000 (in-kind plots)CAAP-Ag Council of SK $500,000Saskatchewan ADF $150,000Alberta Research Council $101,100Viterra $771,337

Still required: $1,105,000

Research Partner Network

Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada - MelfortCecil Vera - breeding and agronomy trials

Alberta Innovates – Technology FuturesDr. Jan Slaski – head up agronomy research

BC Grain Producers AssociationClair Langlois - breeding trials

Viterra Flax Research Team - breeding

Flax is primarily a southern crop!

Flax is not well adapted to the North

Is not selected for tolerance to cold soils or spring frosts

Historically is a later sown cropSome varieties can start reflowering under cool, wet

autumn conditions (indeterminate)Some varieties have stems that seem to stay green

long after the bolls are ripeFlax is late maturing in the northFlax has late and sometimes challenging harvests

Martin Moore, BC Grain Producer

“Some 15 years ago, Argentine canola was seen as a crop out of reach for most northern prairie regions as it was too long seasoned a crop. It was a risky crop in the north. Now Argentine canola is high yielding and matures on the tails of Polish canola.”

“Flax is where canola was 15 years ago and even with half the effort Argentine canola received, the same explosion of progress can be expected in flax.”

Northern Prairies

Flax requires more growing degree days to mature• Barley….1269……………...79% of flax• Canola…1432 …………..…89% of flax• Oats……1483………….…...93% of flax• Wheat…1538……….………96% of flax• Flax……1603……………..100% of flax

Miller, Lanier & Brandt, 2001 “Using Growing Degree Days to Predict Plant Stages”.

The Challenge

Northern Prairies

The northern prairies have less growing degree daysPeace River…….……1702 GDD (106%)Vegreville…………….1793 GDD (112%)Melfort………………..1856 GDD (116%) Saskatoon……………1932 GDD (121%)Morden…………….….2174 GDD (136%)

1603 growing degree days (GDD) required for flax

17-18% of the GDD from May 1st – May 31st 2007 data from Environment Canada

The Challenge

Northern Prairies

Flax has a challenging life cycle

45-60 day vegetative period 15-25 day flowering period30-40 day maturation period

Total requirement; 90-125 days

Canola has a shorter vegetative period and a longer flowering period (Brandt).

The Challenge

Northern Prairie

Higher yields-less impact from drought

Better oil quality-cooler temperatures

Opportunities

Northern Prairies

80% of Saskatchewan flax is grown in the

SEcorner; Crop Districts 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3AN, 3ASW, 5A, 6A

Compare yields to northern Crop

Districts5B, 7B, 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B

2008 Sask Gov. Stats

The Facts

Northern Prairies

OATS - 2008

SE Sask; 58.7 bus/acreNorthern Sask; 81.0 bus/acre

Northern yield advantage = 38%

The Facts

Northern Prairies

OATS - 2008

SE Sask: 39% of provincial acreage

Northern Sask: 51% of provincial acreage

The Facts

Northern Prairies

Yield in bushels/acre - 2008

Oats Canola

SE Sask 58.7 28.8Northern Sask 81.0 33.8

Northern YieldAdvantage 38% 17%

The Facts

Northern Prairies

Provincial Acreage - 2008

Oats Canola

SE Sask: 39% 38%Northern Sask: 51% 53%

The Facts

Northern Prairies

Yield in bushels/acre-2008

Oats Canola Flax

SE Sask 58.7 28.8 20.4Northern Sask 81.0 33.8 24.0

Northern YieldAdvantage 38% 17% 18%

The Facts

Northern Prairies

Provincial Acreage - 2008

Oats Canola Flax

SE Sask: 39% 38% 80%Northern Sask: 51% 53% 12%

The Facts

Northern Prairies

Cooler climate enhances oil quality

1. Higher omega-3 fats (linolenic)2. Higher iodine value of the oil (faster drying oil)3. Lower total saturated fats

Better Quality

Northern Prairies

Cooler climate enhances oil quality

1. Higher omega-3 fats (ALA).2. Higher iodine value of the oil (faster drying oil)3. Lower total saturated fats

2009 CRT Data CDC Bethune

ALA….IV….SatLake Lenore 59.9…199…7.4Regina 56.1…193…7.8

Difference 3.8…..6…..0.4

Quality…

Northern Prairies

Cooler climate enhances oil quality

1. Higher omega-3 fats (ALA).2. Higher iodine value of the oil (faster drying oil)3. Lower total saturated fats

2009 CRT Data CDC Bethune NuLin 50

ALA….IV….Sat ALA….IV….SatLake Lenore 59.9…199…7.4 72.6…

219…6.7Regina 56.1…193…7.8 68.8…213…7.2

Difference 3.8…..6…..0.4 3.8......6…..0.5

Quality…

Northern Adapted Flax Project

1. For the first time in history, a major flax breeding program is located in the northern prairies (Vegreville).

2. Vegreville climate is cooler, shorter frost free period, longer days (photoperiod response)

3. The Viterra flax program is in the ‘zone’ and should be successful in developing flax varieties for the north

4. With support, Viterra will focus up to 50% of its flax R&D program to this project.

Location,Location,Location

Northern Flax ProjectBreeding Strategies

1. Improve cool soil germination /seedling frost tolerance

(need to extend growing season by earlier seeding)

Our 2009 nursery at Vegreville was sown from May 6th to May 15th. Soil was cool (~5oC) and conditions got colder

May 10th -2.5 May 20th -0.7 June 2nd -1.5

May 12th -2.5 May 21st -2.5 June 6th -3.1

May 13th -3.4 May 22nd -5.8 June 8th -2.0

May 14th -1.9 May 23nd -0.9 June 9th -1.8

May 18th -2.3 May 29th -0.4

Northern Flax ProjectBreeding Strategies

2. Select daylength sensitive lines to trigger early maturity

8-17 days earlier than CDC Bethune

Northern Flax ProjectBreeding Strategies

3. Identify determinate lines (will not start reflowering in response to autumn rains).

Northern Flax ProjectBreeding Strategies

4. Identify lines with stems that turn brown when bolls mature

Northern Flax ProjectBreeding Work

• New flax lines will be developed by Viterra based on elite germplasm and PGRC early maturing accessions

• Flax lines with northern characteristics will be selected at the Vegreville nursery and then field evaluated at Melfort AAFC, Fort St. John, BC and Vegreville, AB.

• Breeding deliverables…in the first 5 years, up to 50,000 nursery rows, up to 5000 F5 full plots, up to 600 F6 lines in preliminary yield trials and up to 200 F7 lines in advanced yield trials will be generated and evaluated.

Northern Flax ProjectAgronomy Work

Agronomy is also required to identify best management practices for growing flax in the northern prairies

Dr. Jan Slaski (ARC) and Cecil Vera (Melfort AAFC)

Need to revisit impact of agronomy in the north

-variety, tillage, seeding date, seeding rate, seeding depth, seed treatment, fertilizer, weed management

Northern Flax ProjectConclusions

• This project will take 10 years to complete. Breeding for northern adaptation is a process and not an event. It will take many cycles of evaluation, hybridization, selection, evaluation, hybridization, selection, etc to be successful.

• The plan is to fix four northern traits; improved cold soil/seedling frost tolerance, determinate boll maturity, synchronous stem ripening, and a suite of maturity options in high yielding varieties.

• The plan is to also develop a set of best management practices to accompany these new varieties.