The Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission (SaskFlax) and Viterra, one of the world’s largest flax exporting companies, are leading the $3 million first phase of a 10-year project to develop flax varieties that are better adapted to the northern prairie region of Western Canada.
“Right now, most of Canada’s production of flax is concentrated in southeast Saskatchewan and southwest Manitoba,” said Linda Braun, SaskFlax Executive Director.
“If flax were better adapted to the northern prairies, it would help Canada to retain its competitive edge as the world’s leading exporter and offer another option for growers in the northern grain belt. And all flax growers across western Canada will benefit from significantly higher yields and earlier, more predictable and less challenging harvests.”
Research has also shown that flax grown in a cooler climate has higher yield potential, higher oil content, higher levels of valuable omega-3 fatty acids and less undesirable saturated fatty acids.
“The project focuses on developing varieties with ‘farmer friendly’ characteristics for producers in the northern half of the prairies, said Dr. Paul Dribnenki, a flax breeder with Viterra who is the chief researcher on the project. “These traits will increase yield and result in more predictable, less challenging harvests for producers.”
Traits to be developed for the new flax varieties include:
• Improved tolerance to seeding in cool soils to extend the growing season and enhance yield.
• Reflowering resistance during autumn rains.
• Stems that dry down synchronously with boll maturity.
• A range of maturity options, from very early for short growing season regions to regular maturity for existing regions of flax production.
“Despite the setbacks with the European flax market this year, the potential for flax around the world remains high,” Braun said. “Canada is well-positioned to capitalize on this demand and we need flax varieties that offer better monetary rewards for producers and healthier products for consumers.”
Several other organizations are collaborating and supporting the project, including the Alberta Research Council, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, the British Columbia Grain Producers Association, the Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan through the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program, the Branding the Peace Country Association, Saskatchewan Research Council, and the Flax Council of Canada.
The first new flax varieties are expected to be commercially available by 2019.