Is flax hard on the land???

[Jagfarms]

We just started growing flax on farm again in 2011.
We have not had flax on our farm since the 1960s. I
have heard that flax was hard on the land but was that
because they burned the straw off and the combines
could not chop and spread the straw like the combines
do now?

Or does Flax take lots out of the land?

[ProFarmer]

It just took you 51 years to forget why you quit growing flax the last time....

[lakenheath]

My understanding is that flax is actually very good for the land. At a Sask Soil Conservation meeting, Dr. Jill Clapperton was giving a talk on how to build up healthy soil and she raved about the benefits of flax in a rotation.

I think years ago when they baled and burned the flax straw then fallowed the flax stubble for a full year, the land was vulnerable to blowing and erosion. Maybe that is why the myth is out there.

I have talked to some long-time flax growers and they have said some of their mellowest land in the spring is flax stubble.

Also, one experienced flax grower told me that if you are putting cereals on flax stubble to make sure you have sufficient sulfur in your blend as flax is a big extractor of sulfur.

Just my two bits.....

[haveapulse]

We like flax in our rotation. The deep fibrous root is good for the soil. If you combine on a warm dry day the with a good chopper the straw can be left on the land. But be sure you seed on a good hot dry day or it may clump! The fiber can be found on the soil for several years!

[DogPatch]

Its not the flax thats hard on the land its the burning. Either chop the straw fine, or bale it off. A little fibre to that Sceptre clay won't hurt it.

[Klause]

It's awesome for the soil actually, the tap root really
breaks up hard soils, and it gives you a good anchor
for years to come....


As others have said, just chop the straw

[fjlip]

The TWO years we grew it were on the dry side but the flax stubble was VERY dry and hard to seed into next year. Following crop was much less yield compared to canola stubble.
Those tap roots must wick soil moisture into the air constantly. Best to till the stubble not leave it standing, but it's very little trash to hold the soil, so we gave up.

[food4u]

The two things we have top notch are the
header knife and the knives in the straw
chopper,and hope for hot days to combine
it.Like to use it in our rotation.Be sure
to follow it with a cereal and use Dyvel
to control the volunteer flax.

[mustardman]

What about doing a glyphosate pre harvest appplication? I have heard this makes the straw chop easier? Any Truth to this?

[Jagfarms]

I was going to do a glyphos burnoff on Flax in
2011 but it was all for seed production so I used
reglone.

Had all the straw baled and local golf course
took the straw to cover the greens.

Our flax last year yielded 67% of what our
canola yielded. With less imput costs for flax
and most times a higher price I am thinking of
replacing canola acres with flax.

We had flax on summerfollow last year. Was
thinking of puting it on lentil stubble in 2012.
Lentils were sprayed with .3 rate of pursuit. Will
have to look into that

[bucket]

Usually go with wheat and then use attain to kill the volunteer flax. Or dupont has barricade which includes attain and works great.

Anything you grow that won't kill volunteer flax will make harvest painful.

[lakenheath]

I would strongly suggest not putting flax on lentils stubble sprayed with .3 rate of Pursuit.

We have seen flax with residue damage from Solo on the prior year lentils. Neighbours have also been suspicious of Solo and have quit seeding flax following Solo.

I would almost guarantee that your flax will be damaged to a certain degree from the slighest amount of Pursuit carry-over.

The active ingredient in Solo has half the half life of the active in Pursuit, so don't take the chance.

[Hopperbin]

Surprised no one mentioned growing Canola after the flax crop. I used to do that when I wanted to reduce the cereal in the rotation when cereals were lower priced. Canola after flax does well. True sometimes there is less moisture in the top layer of soil after flax which can make the soil hard and dry. I quit growing the flax as seemed to have gotten a cleaver problem in the area. If having trouble with cleavers then should not grow flax.

[groundspeed]

I agree if you have cleavers you will just make the problem worse. i cant grow flax for that reason.

[rhoff]

We quit growing flax because the durum yield the
next year always took a hit compared to the
durum on canola stubble. Yah sure it will chop
good when threshing on a warm day but with flax
you will combine in October many years and
even with a good chopper it will cause you grief
at seeding time. Flax has to be $3/bushel more
than canola to make the same gross margin.Im
actually thankful we don't have any flax stubble
to seed into this spring. .