FLAX RESEARCH

Hokitika Guardian, 10 September 1931, Page 2

FLAX RESEARCH

WORK AT MASSEY COLLEGE. THREE YEARS’ STUDY. COMMERCIAL PLANTING. For the past three year Dr J. S. Yates, botanist at Massey Agricultural College, has been carrying out - phormium research in relation to commercial flax planting, and a summary of his conclusions are contained in a report just released by the Phormium Committee of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Interviewed on the subject, the chairman of the Phormium Committee, Mr Alfred Seifert, said that a large number of flax plants of different varieties had been collected, and these had been kept under observation to find out the ability of the plant to resist disease, yield abundant leaf, and produce high quality fibre. Before anything definite could be stated a great deal of preliminary work had to be carried out. Plants and seed were collected from all parts of New Zealand. The most promising plants were kept, and the useless varieties would be destroyed. Some of the best strains had been crossed, with seiy promising results, and the work had now reached a stage where the infoiroation gained was of value to those firms planting flax. “The Phormium Committee,'’ Mr Seifert concluded, “have always felt that too much attention could not be given to developing suitable raw material. The basis of any industry is the raw material. If this is abundant and ot good quality, the industry will prosper. We have the land and the climate to develop the plants, and if by selection

and breeding we can get plants far superior to the average plant growing wild, then the industry will be in a fair way to be prosperous. r ONLY SAFE METHOD. “Some plants,” states Dr Yates in his report, “are better suited to one type of soil than are others. The only safe method therefore is to use for planting seedlings or fans which have proved theii- croppings power and quality of fibre under the conditions of the projected scheme of planting. At the piesent stage of phormium growing, undue haste in planting large areas is likely to be disastrous. The" initial area planted should be small, but it should be planted in blocks of tha best strains possible. The plants used should be well-grown seedlings with many fans, so that as short as possible a time w:l] be needed to prove the suitability o? any plants. A number of high-grade strains are now available, from which a choice might be made. “The use of hybrid seedling plants provides the best method ol developing high yielding strains of good quality. The results of some crosses between strains in 1928 are now beginning to show most promising results, and wo are able to say definitely that the cross 13K and SS produces a large proportion of exceedingly vigorous plants of good quality. Mr A. Seifert has promised to donate some plants of the two parents, so that in future crossing can be made in the college area. This will enable large numbers of the hybrid seedlings •to be obtained very cheaply. In order to test and select such plants in a commercial area it is important that time should be saved, The best nursery treatment will therefore be the cheapest in the long run. Probably within three years of sowing the seed, and certainly within four years, a definite and final verdict as to the suitability of each hybrid seedling could be given. At that time, also, every suitable plant could be broken into 30 or 40 fans, so that a large area could be planted out at once from tested individual plants. Plants with poor fibre could be identified and culled as two or three-year-old seedlings by the rapid hand-stripping method. LARGE-SCALE PLANTING. “The question as to whether permanent large-scale planting should be done with seedlings or with fans is not easily answered. The practice of simply breaking up plants in a natural area and using the fans for commercial planting is definitely to be condemned. While these plants may suit the local soil conditions, yet the crop is not likely to be in any way superior, to that from a natural area. “Most companies will certainly find well-grown and selected seedlings the more suitable, since a large area can be planted out in a matter of two or three years. On the other hand, it must be remembered that time has not yet sufficed to develop any lines which breed true to seed. Until such pure lines are developed, even the heaviest culling is not likely to leave a line of absolutely uh’i'fdbn "plahtst "In some cases, however, phormium planting companies are able to use their land profitably for other purposes, and are therefore able to spread their planting over a period of years—say six or eight years, In such cases, if the highest degree of quality and uniformity is aimed at, planting from fans would be the best method. Starting with half an acre of single fans of one strain, such a company could break this up and plant 15 acres after three years, and over 400 acres after another three years. Naturally, instead of half an acre of one strain, several half-acres of different strains should be first planted. After three years only the proven best of these need be further increased.

VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION. “This method' of vegetative reproduction allows of starting with a single hybrid plant of the greatest vigour and quality. The whole area would finally be planted with parts of this one plant, each part retaining in full the vigour and quality of the original. For a long time nearly all fruit trees have been reproduced in this way to secure uniformity, and the tendency is to adopt the same practice in perennial tropical crops such as rubber, coffee, sisal, sugar, etc.

“It is hoped that arrangements may be made to propagate fans of superior plants in commercial plantations so that supplies will be available for those wishing to plant. “The best type of soil for the planting of phormium would appear to be any good friable sod. Sod which is inclined to become sticky in winter or to crack open severely in summer is not so suitable. Friable soils are best because less cultivation k needed, and sheep can be used even in wet seasons to keep down weeds, Cultivation all round each plant is necessary' -to leave ? sod mulch, thus preventing drying-out of the soil and to keep weeds in check. After the first two or three years the shade created by the plants should remove the need for cultivation.

"The growth of phormium on raw peat presents a number of problems, of which cultivation is perhaps the greatest. The roots tend to grow in the sweetened surface layer of soil, and care must be taken not to damage the roots excessively. The management of. phormium plantations on heavy clay so Is also has its difficulties, the overcoming of wh:ch will make ’serious inroads into any profit. The difficulties are those of drainage and-of soil tilth that suited to phormium."