Field Test for Whether Flax Straw is Ready to Bale

The video file listed here has been designed to view with Quicktime. If your computer does not have Quicktime installed, please click here for the free download version.

How do you tell if your flax straw is ready to rake and bale? Flax straw is essentially made up of two parts: Fiber – the long, fibrous strands within the plant stem Shive – the woody, non-fibrous part of the plant stem In order to extract the fiber from flax straw, it needs to decompose or “ret” slightly so that the flax and shive begin naturally to separate. For flax straw to begin retting, it needs to come in contact with the soil to allow microbes to get in and start decomposing the straw. Warmth and moisture are also required for the microbes to grow and multiply to carry out the retting process.

SaskFlax is researching several ways to bring flax straw in contact with the soil, including rolling and mowing techniques. Whatever technique is used, there is a simple test that can be used to determine if the flax straw has retted enough to allow for the fiber to be extracted from the straw.

Field Test to Determine if Retting Completed:

• Wait for the straw to turn a gray or grayish-yellow colour.
• Take a small handful of straw from the field.
• Hold it in both hands and break the stalks between your hands, using a rotating motion.
• You will notice the shives falling off and the long strands of fiber become visible.
• Smooth your fingers down the fiber strands (as if “combing”) to clean them of shives.
• Check the strength of the fiber by wrapping the strands around each of your pointer fingers and pulling your hands apart. The fiber should be strong enough (and not too brittle) to give some resistance to breaking.
• If retting is not complete, shives will remain attached to the fiber (ie, it will be difficult or impossible to get clean fibers.

Click on the photo above or on the link below to see Alvin Ulrich of Biolin Research demonstrate how producers can test their straw in the field to see if it is ready to rake and bale.

 Field Retting Test Video

 CLOSE-UP video of Field Retting Test

Our thanks
To help raise awareness of alternatives to burning flax straw, the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission (SFDC) is working with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada on the Agri-Environmental Group Plan (AEGP) on Flax Straw Management for Improved Air Quality. Through this program, Saskatchewan flax producers, represented by SFDC, can work together on developing Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) that will (a) Improve air quality; and (b) Enhance economic opportunities available to farmers.