WP 1 Task 1.2 : Potential of bast fibr e s crops Task leader: Krzysztof HELLER

1. WP 1Task 1.2 :Potential of bast fibres cropsTask leader: Krzysztof HELLER Crops2Industry “Non-food Crops-to-Industry schemes in EU27”

2. WP1Non-foodcrops (CRES, UNIBO, INF&MP, NCPRI, ACCIONA) The main target of this WP is to explore the potential of non-food crops, which can be domestically grown in EU27 countries, for selected industrial application. INF&MP – bast fibers Task 1.2 UNIBO – fruit and leaf fibers Fiber crops CRES – seed and wood fibers 2

3. 1. Objectives WP 1 - Potential of non-food crops Task 1.2 Fibre crops: • Fibre flax • Hemp • Kenaf • Nettle

4. Flax (Linum Usitatissimum) Diameter of elementary fibre: 15 – 22 [µm]:

5. Hemp (Cannabis sativa) Diameter of elementary fibre: 17 – 24 [µm]:

6. Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) Diameter of elementary fibre: 13 – 20 [µm]: • Asia • Africa • America • Europe

7. Nettle (Urica dioica) Diameter of elementary fibre: 13 – 20 [µm]: • Asia • Africa • America • Europe

8. 1. Objectives WP 1 - Potential of non-food crops Task 1.2 Fibre crops (topics): • Plants morphology and anatomy • Area of origin and current cultivation • Growing conditions – input requirements • Logistics (harvesting – handling) until the industrial plant gate • Yield • Quality • Applications; current- potential • Factors restricting growth and yielding potential • Research gaps

9. 2. Progress of work • Fibre flax – ok.! • Hemp – ok. ! • Kenaf – first version for consultation • Nettle – first version for consultation

10. 3. Results WP 1 - Potential of non-food crops Task 1.2 Fibre crops (topics): • Bast fibers plants anatomy • Area of origin and current cultivation • Growing conditions – input requirements • Logistics (harvesting – handling) until the industrial plant gate • Yield • Quality • Applications; current- potential • Factors restricting growth and yielding potential • Research gaps

11. Topic 1.Fibre flax morphology & anatomy • Seed • Stem (morphology and anatomy) • Leaf • Root system • Inflorescence, Flower • Fruits 11

12. Fibre flax anatomy fibre bundles parenchyma cortex meristem tissue epidermis pith channel xylem Fibre flax anatomy Transverse section through a fibre flax stem Fiber is present it the stem in the form of rings of fiber bundles.

13. Topic 2Area of origin and current cultivation of bast fibrous plants

14. Ad Topic 3. Growing conditions of bast plants – input requirements • Varieties • Place in rotations • Soil requirements • Weather conditions • Soil cultivation • Fertilization • Seed sowing (time, technique) • Post emergent cultivation – plant protection • Harvesting (time, methods)

15. List of fibrous flax cultivars enrolled on the Register of European Union.

16. List of fibrous flax cultivars enrolled on the Register of European Union.

17. Topic 3. Growing conditions of bast plants – input requirements Environmental conditions needed for fibre flax growing • temperature, • water (precipitation, soil, air humidity) • soil • forecrop - (position in the Rotation Cycle) Fibre flax Linseed (oil flax)

18. Fibre flax weather condition needs Water The effect of soil moisture on fibre flax plants growing 10% Field Water Capacity 15 % FWC 20 % FWC 30 % FWC 35 % FWC 45 % FWC (FWC)

19. Position in the Rotation Cycle • forecrop – the best for flax are cereals (oats, wheat) • Fusarium wilt – flax after 6-7 years at the same field • soil – the best for flax are fertile soils in a high culture, medium compacted and compacted, high humus clays and clay sandy soils, of soil valuation class at least IVa, • the risk of lodging is very high in the rainy weather and at high level of N fertilisation

20. Optimisation of cultivation technologies treatments: • sowing density – 24-26 million of seeds per 1 ha (120-130 kg/ha), • right-on-time and quality of plant protection treatments of flax plants (e.g.. earlier application of herbicides allows for decreasing of a preparation doses), • time of flax pulling – beginning of green-yellow maturity of flax, • correct dew-retting of flax

21. Post emergent cultivation – plant protection TRIPS HARVESTING DISEASES DISEASES FLAX FLEA BEETLE WEEDS 21 BBCH 00 10 11 12 14 16 36 55 65 75 83 85

22. Time of flax pulling - beginning of green-yellow maturity of flax BBCH 83 - green-yellow maturity of flax Fibre bundles very well formed Flax fibres well formed gain x 1000 (Stems are yellow to 1/3 of height, leafs fallen off from the bottom to 1/4 of height. Bolls of flax begin to turn yellow)

23. Topic 4. Logistic (harvesting – handling) until industrial plant gate Technologies of harvesting and handling fibrous flax (Machines for harvesting - handling)

24. Topic 5. Yields • Yielding potential of fibre flax in Europe • Practical (commercial) yielding of fibre flax in Europe • The reason, why the practical (commercial) yielding of flax is lower than potential • The recomendation, how to increase the practical yielding

25. Topic 5. Yield Potentialyields of fibrous flax in flax producing countries in Europe

26. . Commercial yields of fibre flax in Western and Eastern Europe Source: The data in the above table are based on the data achieved in the commercial scale, in the flax industries of Poland and Belgium.

27. Topic 5. Yields Factors restricting fibre flax optimal yielding capacity • Objective factors: • Climatic (weather) conditions • Soil • Anthropogenic factors: • Level of agronomy • forecrop – the best one for flax are cereals (oats, wheat), • sowing material – certified; seed dressing is the practice which enables the effective fibrous flax cultivation • sowing date – a simple positive correlation was found; the earlier sowing, the higher yield of straw, fiber and seed of fiber flax , • sowing density – 24-26 million of seeds per 1 ha (120-130 kg/ha), • sowing quality - depth 2 cm, row spacing 8-10 cm • level of weed infestation– it was found that higher infestation with weeds causes decrease in number of flax plants per square unit resulting from higher thinning. • right-in-time and quality of plant protection treatments of flax plants (e.g. earlier application of herbicides allows for decreasing of a preparation), • time of flax pulling – beginning of green-yellow maturity of flax, • controlled dew-retting of flax.

28. Topic 6. Quality The expectations regarding flax fibre quality features depend on the final destination of fibre. • The following quality parameters of raw materials were evaluaeted in INF&MP: • Long flax fibre for hackled yarns • Short flax fibre for carded yarns • Flax wool-like homomorphic fibre for blended yarns • Flax cotton-like fibre for blended yarns • Green decorticated fibre • Flax fibre used in disinfection mats

29. Topic 6. Quality Parameters of flax scutched and hackled fibre Fibre thinnes [tex] -linear mass (shows the mass of 1000 m in grams)

30. Topic 6. Quality Parameters of flax tow Fibre thinnes [tex] -linear mass (shows the mass of 1000 m in grams)

31. Topic 7. Application current - potential

32. Weaving carded yarn Long combed fiber Special combed yarn Spinning waste material Bedding material Nets and other Nets and others Ropes Paper production Nonwovens Technical and decorative fabrics Carded yarn Long scutched fiber Special carded yarn Cleaning material Threads Bedlinen fabrics Felts Combing waste fiber Paper production Decorative fabrics Bedding material Insulating matarial Weaving Carded yarn Special carded yarn Weaving carded yarn Short fiber matted tows Short fiber scutched tows Technical fiber Cottonized fiber Special carded yarn Shives & dust Dew-retted straw Ropes Deseeded raw straw Sowing seed Seeds 32 Non-deseeded raw straw Biomass for bio-fuel

33. Topic 8. Factors restricting growth and yielding potential • High differentiationof flax cultivation conditions (weather, cultivation technology) and dew retting (weather) is the factor limiting obtaining high lots of good quality fibre • Average area of flax field in EU is too small to obtain high lots of good quality fibre • The main factor limiting yielding capacity of fibrous flax in the EU is global warming (rainfalls and high air temperatures) • Lack of fibrous flax cultivars resistant to drought and high temperatures • Lack of flax cultivation technology adapted to climate change (high temperatures, drought)

34. Topic 9. Research gaps • Basic research • Development of Linum gene map, identification of genes responsible for fibre yield and its quality • Applied research • Breeding of flax cultivars with higher resistance to drought and high temperature • Flax cultivation technologies suitable for global warming • Environmental friendly methods of fibrous flax cultivation • Optimization of dew retting methods of flax

35. 5. Difficulties encountered • WP 1 - Potential of non-food crops • Ad. 6 Quality – it was hard to divided what should belong to WP1 and what to WP3. We decided that the main material will be presented in WP3 • ad. 7 Applications; current- potential – the similar situation as in topic 6. It was hard to divided what should belong to WP 1 and what to WP3. We decided that the main material will be presented In WP 3

36. 5. Difficulties encountered • WP 1 - Potential of non-food crops • Kenaf - we decided to send draft raport to KEFI and to National Energy Research Centre, Amman, Jordan for consultation • Nettle - draft raport was sent to KEFI for estimation

37. 5. Difficulties encountered • WP 1 - Potential of non-food crops • Nettle –problems with some topics particularly with: • Logistics (harvesting – handling) until the industrial plant gate • Yield • Quality • Applications; current- potential • Factors restricting growth and yielding potential

38. Plans for the next 6 months -Gantt chart for INF&MP 38

39. Thank you for attention !