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Title: HARVESTING AND PROCESSING OF FLAX IN THE USA

Author
item Foulk, Jonn
item Akin, Danny
item DODD, ROY - CLEMSON UNIV
item McAlister Iii, David

Submitted to: Recent Progress in Medicinal Plants
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/2/2006
Publication Date: 7/28/2006
Citation: Foulk, J.A., Akin, D.E., Dodd, R.B., McAlister III, D.D. 2006. Harvesting and processing of flax in the usa. Recent Progress in Medicinal Plants. Vol. 15 Natural Products. (ISBN No. 0-9761849-7-4)

Interpretive Summary: SCIENTISTS WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FLAX AND ITS CULTIVATION PRACTICES FOR MANY REASONS. FLAX FIBER AND OILSEED USE IS INCREASING WITH TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT NOW ABLE TO GROW AND HARVEST THIS CROP IN THE U.S. GLOBALLY, THE U.S. IS THE LARGEST PER CAPITA CONSUMER OF FLAX FIBER, WITH NEARLY ALL INDUSTRIAL GRADE FIBER IMPORTED. FLAX PRODUCTION IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ENHANCE RURAL ECONOMIC GROWTH AND TO SUPPLY A DOMESTIC SOURCE TO THE FIBER INDUSTRIES. WARM SOUTHERN CLIMATES ALLOW THIS CROP TO BE GROWN IN THE WINTER PRODUCING FLAX ON TRADITIONALLY DORMANT FIELDS. THE U.S. IS PURSUING NATURAL FIBERS AS SUSTAINABLE, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY SOURCES FOR A VARIETY OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS. RESULTS ARE IMPORTANT IN SHOWING THAT FLAX FIBER CAN BE PRODUCED SUCCESSFULLY TO ADDRESS ARS PRIORITIES FOR NEW CROPS, IMPROVED RURAL ECONOMIES, AND IMPROVED GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS. RESEARCH ON FLAX FIBER PRODUCTION, ENZYME-RETTING, AND STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT IS URGENT TO SUPPORT INTEREST IN THE U.S., AND GLOBALLY AS WELL, FOR COST EFFICIENT, VALUE-ADDED FIBERS FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND NEW BIO-BASED PRODUCTS. FLAX FIBER BLENDED WITH COTTON AND SPUN AT THE COTTON QUALITY RESEARCH STATION (CQRS), ARS-USDA, PROVIDE A FINAL STAGE OF EVALUATION.

Technical Abstract: UNITED STATES IS PURSUING NATURAL FIBERS AS SUSTAINABLE, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY SOURCES FOR A VARIETY OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS. FLAX (LINUM USITATISSIMUM L.) FIBER OFFERS MANY POSSIBILITIES TOWARDS THIS GOAL. SPECIFIC UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ARE TO: (1) EVALUATE TRADITIONAL FARM EQUIPMENT FOR FLAX PRODUCTION, (2) IMPROVE RETTING, ESPECIALLY THORUGH USE OF ENZYMES, (3) DEVELOP OBJECTIVE STANDARDS FOR FIBER QUALITY TESTING, AND (4) TEST FIBERS FOR MANUFACTURING PERFORMANCE AND/OR AESTHETIC PROPERTIES. FIBER FLAX FOR SHORT STAPLE USES CAN BE RAPIDLY HARVESTED BY EQUIPMENT READILY AVAILABLE ON U.S. FARMS. WARM SOUTHERN CLIMATES ALLOW THIS CROP TO BE GROWN IN THE WINTER TO PRODUCE FLAX ON TRADITIONALLY DORMANT FIELDS. ENZYMES TO EXTRACT FIBERS PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY METHOD FOR RELIABLE AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. COMMERICAL ENZYMES AND CALCIUM CHELATING AGENTS PROVIDE A KEY STEP IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF A CONTROLLED AND SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO EFFICIENTLY PRODUCE FIBERS OF HIGH AND CONSISTENT QUALITY. A USDA FLAX PILOT PLANT BASED ON COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE EQUIPMENT PROVIDES BETTER UNDERSTANDINGS OF FIBER QUALITY PARAMETERS, FIBER STANDARDS, PROCESSING COSTS, AND ELIMINATES UNCERTAINTIES OF RAW MATERIAL SUPPLY. ASTM INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ARE BEING DEVELOPED TO JUDGE FLAX FIBER FOR QUALITY RELATED TO PROCESSING AND MARKETING DECISIONS. FLAX FIBER BLENDED WITH COTTON AND SPUN BY VORTEX, ROTOR, AND RING-SPINNING EQUIPMENT AT THE COTTON QUALITY RESEARCH STATION(CQRS), ARS-USDA, PROVIDE A FINAL STAGE OF EVALUATION.