How growing conditions are influential on the agronomic attributes and fiber-related quality parameters of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) fibers: A seismomorphogenesis approach

Abstract

Among industrial crops, flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a multi-purpose crop grown for production of stem fiber and seed oil. Through longterm domestication for these purposes, cultivated flax has diversified into two main types, namely fiber and oil or linseed types, as well as an intermediate type. This study was designed to investigate the effect of flax fibers of flax varieties (Antares, Dakota and Mures) in field and greenhouse cultivation on fiber mechanical performances, morphological properties and fatty acid composition in flaxseed was investigated. Additionally, plants can change their morphology and mechanical properties when exposed to stress, as is particularly the case when plants respond to wind, a phenomenon known as seismomorphogenesis. Greenhouse plants were found to be significantly lower than field grown plants, with an increase of 16.79cm in technical stem length and 56.02cm in technical stem height. In addition, the total plant height of flax grown in the field was 59.33 cm compared to 17.32 cm in the greenhouse. The Mures variety was found to be the highest both in the field (79.50-76.10cm) and in the greenhouse (18.36-17.47cm). Considering the fatty acid percentages, the highest α-linolenic acid was found in Dakota (29.23%) and the lowest in Antares (20.53%) in the field, while the highest was found in Dakota (19.25%) and the lowest in Mures (16.13%) in the greenhouse. In addition, the highest tensile strength was found in Dakota (704.6 Mpa) and the closest Antares (692.2 Mpa) under field conditions, while the lowest was found in Dakota (198.5 Mpa) and Mures varieties (288.8 Mpa) under greenhouse conditions. In order to reduce the dimension, correlate and visualize the measured parameters, the relevant data of the study were subjected to principal component analysis and heat-map clustering.