Effect of plant density and retting method on flax yield and its components under sandy soil conditions

This investigation was conducted at Ismailia Experimental Station, during 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons to investigate the influence of plant density and retting method of three flax genotypes on yield and its attributes. The results illustrated that increase plant density from 1500 to 2500 plant/m2 increase straw yield and its components. However, the highest seed yield and its components were obtained with 2000 plant/m2. Fiber traits were not significantly differed by retting methods. Strain 620/1/3 exhibited the highest values of straw yield/hectare, plant height and technical length with 2500 plant/m2, also seed yield/hectare, seed yield/plant and number of capsules/plant with 2000 plant/m2. Strain 620/1/3 recorded the highest fiber yield/hectare and fiber length with 2500 plant/m2 in both retting methods. However, Sakha 3 scored the highest fiber percentage with 2000 plant/m2 in both retting method. Straw and fiber yield/hectare traits showed a strong and positive significant correlation with straw yield, plant height, technical length and fiber length traits. Seed yield/plant exhibited significant positive correlation with number of capsules/plant and number of seeds/capsule. Results revealed that the major straw and fiber yield contributors were technical length and plant height traits and straw yield/plant for fiber yield. Thus, selection for improving straw and fiber yields by indirectly selection for high technical length and plant height. For seed yield/plant number of capsules/plant trait was the most important contributor followed by 1000-seed weight trait which has high positive direct effects on seed yield/plant. Therefore, seed yield improvement can be achieved through selection indirectly for more capsules/plant and seed weight.