• Overview Roadblocks to Higher Flax

Roadblocks to Higher Flax Yields and the Max Flax Challenge
Robert Park, Manitoba Agriculture and Food, Carman, MB R0G 0J0
[email protected]
Overview
Roadblocks to Higher Flax
Yields &
The Max Flax Challenge
• Flax Production in Manitoba
• The Max Flax Challenge
• What’s causing the yield
Robert Park
Oilseed Specialist
variability?
• Summary
Distribution of Flax Acres
in Manitoba for 1993
Mountain
Minitonas
Minitonas
Swan
River
Swan
River
Duck
Mountain
Provincial
Park
Park
Scale (kms.)
Mountain
0
Dauphin
Riding Mountain
National Park
Fisher
Branch
Siglunes
Ochre
River St. Rose
McCreary
Gimli
Minto
Archie
Miniota
BlanHamiota shard
Saskatchewan Odanah
Glenella
Lansdowne
Lakeview
Lake
Manitoba
Alexander
St.
Laurent
Rockwood
Daly
Woodsworth
Elton
Pipestone
North
Cypress
Brandon
Whitehead
North
Norfolk
Sifton
South
Cypress
Oakland
Victoria
St.
Fran
cois
Rosser
Xav
ie r
South
Norfolk
W.
St. Paul
E.
St. Paul
Winnipeg
MacDonald
Ritchot
Cameron
Brenda
Arthur
Winchester
Whitewater
Riverside
Morton
Strathcona Argyle
Turtle
Mountain
Roblin
Lorne
Louise
Pembina
Roland
Stanley
Agricultural Region Offices
Whitemouth
Ste. Anne
Rhineland
Birtle
Archie
Miniota
BlanHamiota shard
Gimli
Saskatchewan Odanah
Lansdowne
Lakeview
Lake
Manitoba
Alexander
St.
Laurent
Rockwood
Daly
Woodsworth
Langford
Elton
Sifton
Glenwood
North
Norfolk
South
Cypress
Oakland
Victoria
St.
Fran
cois
Portage
la Prairie
Cartier
Grey
South
Norfolk
Cameron
Whitewater
Riverside
Edward
Stuartburn
Brenda
Arthur
B.A. Mitchell 1998
Manitoba
Crop Insurance Corporation
Manitoba
Agriculture
Soil Resource Section
A Manitoba Crown Corporation
Winchester
Morton
Strathcona
Turtle
Mountain
Argyle
W.
St. Paul
Roblin
Louise
Ritchot
Ste. Anne
Roland
Stanley
Reynolds
Hanover
La Broquerie
Morris
Pembina
RM/LGD Boundaries
Tache
De Salaberry
Rhineland
Montcalm
Piney
Franklin
Stuartburn
B.A. Mitchell 1998
Manitoba
Agriculture
Soil Resource Section
MB Flax Prod. as % of
Can.
1991-2000
70
60
60
50
50
40
40
30
30
20
20
10
10
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
Source: MAF - Market Analysis and Statistics Section
90
120
Agricultural Region Offices
Whitemouth
Manitoba
Crop Insurance Corporation
70
0
100
Springfield
A Manitoba Crown Corporation
MB Flax Prod. as % of
Can.
1981-1990
80
Pinawa
E.
St. Paul
Winnipeg
MacDonald
Lorne
Thompson
Lac du Bonnet
Brokenhead
Beausejour
Rosser
Xav
ie r
Dufferin
Albert
Piney
St. Clements
Westbourne
Cornwallis
Reynolds
Pipestone
North
Cypress
Brandon
Whitehead
St.
Andrews
Woodlands
Portage La Prairie
Wallace
Lake
Winnipeg
Armstrong
Coldwell
Glenella
RM/LGD Boundaries
La Broquerie
Franklin
McCreary
Park
Clanwilliam Rosedale
StrathHarrison
clair
Shoal
Lake
60
< 5000
5,000 to 10,000
10,000 to 15,000
15,000 to 20,000
20,000 to 25,000
25,000 to 30,000
30,000 to 35,000
35,000 to 40,000
40,000 to 45,000
Bifrost
Eriksdale
Alonsa
Rossburn
De Salaberry
Montcalm
Fisher
Branch
Siglunes
Ochre
River St. Rose
Riding Mountain
National Park
Silver
Creek
Ellice
40
Acres
Grahamdale
Dauphin
Shell- Boulton
mouth
Tache
Morris
Thompson
Gilbert
Plains
Grandview
Russell
20
Dauphin
Hillsburg
Minto
Hanover
Dufferin
Albert
Edward
Springfield
0
Universal Transverse Mecator
(NAD 27) Projection
Mossey
River
Ethelbert
Lawrence
Shell
River
Pinawa
Beausejour
Portage Cartier
la Prairie
Grey
Lac du Bonnet
Brokenhead
Westbourne
Cornwallis
Glenwood
St. Clements
St.
Andrews
Woodlands
Langford
Portage La Prairie
Wallace
Lake
Winnipeg
Armstrong
Coldwell
Park
Clanwilliam Rosedale
StrathHarrison
clair
Shoal
Lake
Scale (kms.)
Mountain
Duck
Mountain
Provincial
Park
120
< 5000
5,000 to 10,000
10,000 to 15,000
15,000 to 20,000
20,000 to 25,000
25,000 to 30,000
30,000 to 35,000
35,000 to 40,000
40,000 to 45,000
Bifrost
Eriksdale
Alonsa
Rossburn
Birtle
100
ke
La
Silver
Creek
Ellice
80
Acres
Grahamdale
ke
La
Russell
60
hin
up
Da
hin
up
Da
Gilbert
Plains
Grandview
40
Park
Dauphin
Hillsburg
Shell- Boulton
mouth
20
Universal Transverse Mecator
(NAD 27) Projection
Mossey
River
Ethelbert
Lawrence
Shell
River
Distribution of Flax Acres
in Manitoba for 1997
Mountain
0
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
Source: MAF - Market Analysis and Statistics Section
'00
Roadblocks to Higher Flax Yields and the Max Flax Challenge
Robert Park, Manitoba Agriculture and Food, Carman, MB R0G 0J0
[email protected]
Westbourne Flax Production
The Max Flax Challenge
1400
• Variable flax yields - Why?????????
• 2001 & 2002 worked with Ag Reps in
1200
Production
'00 acres
1000
yield (kg/ac)
800
growers
growers
600
60
400
40
200
20
0
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Year
Source: MCIC Management Plus Program
Max Flax Challenge
all regions of Manitoba
• 35 different growers participated
• Collected data on all agronomic
practices
• Looking to expand the MAX FLAX
CHALLENGE in 2003 (Industry
uptake)
- Previous Crop
• Top 12
-10 of 11 Wheat
• 35 grower participated
• Top 12 yields vs.. Mid 12 yields vs.
• Mid 12
• Yield range was 36 to 12 bushels / acre
• Difficult to make any major conclusion
• Bottom 11
Bottom 11 yields
Fallow
-1 of 11 Barley
-9 of 11 Wheat
-1 of 11 Barley
-1 of 11 Summer
but it’s a snap shot looking at what are
the top performers doing.
-5 of 11 Wheat
-3 of 11 Barley
-3 of 11 Canola
• Prev. Canola = The lowest, 7th and
8th lowest yields out of 35 growers
- 2 year Previous Crop
- Tillage System
• Top 12
• Mid 12
• Bottom 11
- 9 of 11 Canola
- 1 of 11 Beans
- 1 of 11 Wheat
- 8 of 11 Canola
- 2 of 11 Wheat
- 1 of 11 Alfalfa/grass
- 6 of 10 Canola
- 3 of 10 Wheat
- 1 of 10 Barley
• Top 12
• Mid 12
• Bottom 11
- 7 of 11 Conv.
- 3 of 11 Zero
- 1 of 11 Min.
- 3 of 10 Conv.
- 3 of 10 Zero
- 4 of 10 Min.
- 4 of 11 Conv.
- 2 of 11 Zero
- 5 of 11 Min.
Roadblocks to Higher Flax Yields and the Max Flax Challenge
Robert Park, Manitoba Agriculture and Food, Carman, MB R0G 0J0
[email protected]
- Certified Seed
• Top 12
Max Flax Challenge
2001 & 2002 Results
- 11 of 12 Cert.
- 1 of 12 non. Cert.
• Mid 12
- 12 of 12 Cert.
• Bottom 11
- 10 of 11 Cert.
- 1 of 11 non. Cert.
Growers Seeding Seeding Seeding N Fert Stand- Yield
Depth
Rate
Date
lbs/ac ability Bu/ac
Lbs / ac
Top 12
0.88 in 35.4
May 15 66.7
4.6
30.8
What Next ?
•
•
again in 2003 across all regions of
Manitoba.
Travelling road show - “Flax the forgotten
crop”- Diseases, Insects, Fertility, Max Flax
Results & Industry participation
The main goal is to get farmers in their flax
field looking for problems.
Attempt to change the thinking of flax as a
forgotten crop.
back end
• distinctive tail
•
pipes off of the
back
Host crops - flax,
potatoes,
tomatoes, lettuce
and sunflowers
42.5
May 21
70.1
3.9
25.2
Bottom
11
1.16 in
42.8
May 19
47.8
4.0
18.4
• Insects - Potato Aphids
• Disease - Pasmo
• Phosphate & Mycorrhizae
Insects - Potato Aphid
• 1/4 in length
• pale green, pointed
0.95 in
Other Causes of Yield
Variability
• Looking to run the Max Flax Challenge
•
Mid 12
Insects - Potato Aphid
• Sap feeders - leave
•
•
honeydew on the
stem
Damage occurs late in
the season - flowering
& green boll
ET - 2 to 3 aphids /
plant at flowering or 8
aphids / plant at
green boll
Roadblocks to Higher Flax Yields and the Max Flax Challenge
Robert Park, Manitoba Agriculture and Food, Carman, MB R0G 0J0
[email protected]
What About Disease?
• Breeders believe
•
Have You Seen Pasmo?
that disease is a
‘non-issue’ in flax,
however, efforts
concentrate on wilt
and rust
None of the current
varieties has any
measure of
resistance to pasmo
• In co-op disease
nurseries where flax
residues are
significant, ‘squirt &
look’ investigation
with foliar fungicides
has shown
impressive yield
response
• Pasmo?
Disease - Pasmo
• Preliminary studies
•
•
•
showing good
fungicide response
Circular brown lesions
on the leaves
Occurs during
ripening - causing
weakening and bolldrop
Worse in moist cond.
Roadblocks to Higher Flax Yields and the Max Flax Challenge
Robert Park, Manitoba Agriculture and Food, Carman, MB R0G 0J0
[email protected]
Phosphorus fertilization
& Mycorrhizae
• P is required, but responses are
variable often due to method of
application
• P is required in the first few weeks of
growth after that it has little effect on
yield
• How do we get P to the plant early in
the season? P placement? Do we rely
on the natural system?
Roadblocks to Higher Flax Yields and the Max Flax Challenge
Robert Park, Manitoba Agriculture and Food, Carman, MB R0G 0J0
[email protected]
Flax Fertility:
Nutrient uptake and removal in
24 bu/ac flax
• Yield loss at
60
50
Straw
40
Seed
Morden was
proportional
to stand
decrease
30
Flax response to P placement
check
spring band
side-band
seed-placed
700
600
Population/sq m
70
Removal lb/ac
Seed-placed P affect
on stand
500
400
300
200
100
20
0
10
Morden
Nitrogen
Phosphate
Potassium
Sulphur
• Flax doesn’t use applied
•
•
Melfort
Indian Head
Lafond et al, 1996-99
Mycorrhizae
•
Brandon
Location
0
P very well
Greatly affected by the
previous crop
Mycorrhizae (fungus root) works with the
flax root to source P
the fungus increases
the amount of root hair
increasing the P uptake
Mycorrhizae
• 80% of all crops use
•
•
the fungus (flax,
wheat, corn)
Brassicas (Canola)
doesn’t - mycorrhizae
population will be low
after canola
Tillage will also
reduce the population
Summary
• Flax shouldn’t be the forgotten crop
(planted last, managed at a low
end)
• Small fine tuning will go a long way
• Planting early
• Achieving good plant stands
• Flax is not as forgiving as canola