YIELD AND QUALITY OF FLAX AS AFFECTED BY VARIETY AND SOME ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

Abstract

Flax ( Linum usitatissimum L.) ranked second in relation to fiber crops in Egypt after cotton where it is grown as a dual purpose crop (fiber and seed). Efforts are paid to increase flax production through increasing the yield rather than through extending flax area. Also, the . agricultural policy is intending to improve the technological properties of fibers and seeds through the introduction and breeding of new varieties, characterized by high yielding potentiality. Moreover, it is well known that the productivity of any variety is the result or outcome of the• interaction between the genetical constitution and environmental conditions. For that, flax should by grown under suitable environmental conditions to achieve maximum yield and best quality. -=:! Therefore, six field experiments were conducted during 1990/91 and 1991/92 seasons at three different regions i.e., Kafr El-Sheikh governorate representing North Delta(Sakha Agricultural Research Station.), El-Gharbia governorate representing Middle Delta (Gemmiza Agricultural Research Station.) and El-Giza governorate representing North Upper Egypt (Giza Agricultural Research Station.) to evaluate twelve flax genotypes including the four commercial varieties namely,