Producers are evaluating their cropping options for this year with some looking at including flax in the rotation, with newer varieties being available and prices for the crop improving.
Chris Holzapfel, Research Manager at the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation, talked to producers during the Agri-Arm Presentation in Saskatoon about enhancing flax production, where he said that it all starts with a soil test and goes from there.
"I think you do want to seed flax as early as possible, in the first or second week of May," he said. "That being said, we do get very good yields by postponing that seeding operation right up until that first week of June. In terms of seeding rate, the standard recommendation has always been about 45 to 55 pounds per acre."
He adds when choosing a stubble to plant flax on, cereal stubble is probably the best fit in terms of overall rotation, and have also seen equivalent yields on pulse stubble, but warns that farmers should stay away from putting flax on canola stubble.