A two-year study of the maturity stages influence on the properties of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) plants and fibres

To revitalise the production of flax fibres in Croatia, a joint effort of different experts, such as textile and agronomist specialists, was needed. Considering that flax fibres were a significant part of Croatian cultural heritage and that natural fibres are now attracting increasing interest in fashion, the need for reviving flax production seems meaningful. To revitalise flax fibre production, an interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers of the University of Zagreb Faculty of Textile Technology and the Faculty of Agriculture was established. The goal was to revive flax production in Croatia in the traditional way to define and improve the quality of flax fibres. The paper presents the results of several achieved morphological and physical-mechanical properties of foreign flax fibre cultivars, pulled at three different maturity stages (green, yellow, and full). The trial involved five flax fibre cultivars: Viking, Viola, Venica, Agatha, and Electra, which were cultivated over two years at two different experimental fields (Zagreb, Križevci). The investigation in this way enables the identification of the possibility of introducing foreign cultivars to the continental lowland region of north-western Croatia. The results indicate that cultivars Viola and Agatha achieved higher values, particularly at the Križevci location. The highest values of investigated properties were recorded when the fibre flax was pulled at the green maturity stage compared to other maturity stages.