LINSEED

Linum usitatissimum L.

FAMILY: LINIACEAE

URDU: ALSI

ENGLISH: FLAX SEED

LINSEED

ANNUAL

RABI

LONG DAY (Day neutral)

SELF POLLINATED (Cross pollinated)

LINSEED

TOP COUNTRIES

COUNTRY PRODUCTION (Tones)

CANADA 423,000

CHINA 350,000

USA 230,030

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 178,210

INDIA 154,000

PRODUCTION

PAKISTAN 2010

Area 4207 ha

Production 2714 tones

Yield 0.65 t ha-1

25th in world production

ORIGIN

Mediterranean region

Linium angustifolium

Earliest domesticated plants

Fibre extraction

IMPORTANCE

Oil

30-40 % Oil

Fibre

Seed

Soaps

Biscuits

20-25% Protein

SOIL

Well drained soils

Medium-loam soil

No waterlogging

No salinity

Sandy & heavy clay soils not suited

ROOT

Tap root

Upper soil surface

Not deeper in soil

STEM

Thin

Round

50-100 cm tall

INFLORESCENCE

White

Blue

Dark red

FRUIT & SEED

Capsule

Around 10 seeds

Different color

Bronze

Dark brown

Golden

TILLAGE

2 ploughing for seed bed preparation

Followed by clod crushing/ levelling

After sowing divide field into small plots

Irrigate individually

SOWING TIME

November in Sindh

Mid Oct. to Mid Nov. in Punjab

First week of Dec. (frost problem)

Later than wheat & Barley

SEED RATE

15 Kg ha-1 (Irrigated lands)

20 Kg ha-1 (Rainfed lands)

Poor weed competitor

80-100 kg ha-1 (Arnon, 1972)

SOWING METHOD

KERA

PORA

SINGLE ROW RABI DRILL

R – R = 30 cm

IRRIGATED

135 68 0 (NPK) Kg ha-1

WHOLE P & HALF N AT SOWING

HALF N WITH FIRST IRRIGATION

RAINFED

84 56 56 (NPK) Kg ha-1

WHOLE N, P & K AT SOWING

FERTILIZER

IRRIGATION

SINDH4-5 irrigationsFirst irrigation 30 DASSubsequent at 20-25 days interval

PUNJAB3-4 irrigationsFirst irrigation15-20 DASSubsequent when needed

WEEDING & INTERCULTURE

Poor foliage

Never forms a canopy

Poor weed competitor throughout life

First hoeing at 25-30 DAS

1-2 hoeings

Tolerant to broad leaved and grass herbicides

Chemical control not common

Plants turn golden yellow

Leaves dry

Capsules brown, Seed shiny

If fibre desired too, capsule maturity but green crop

End April in Sindh & May in Punjab

HARVESTING

THRESHING & STORAGE

Threshed by bullocks

Beating by sticks

Sun drying

Storage

INSECT PESTS/DISEASES

No serious pest attack

Rare attack of capsule borer

Fusarium oxysporum

Powdery mildew

VARIETIES

Pb- 80

Pr-2/4

T-5

7-1