Yield and Yield Components of Three Flax Cultivars (Linum usitatissimum L.) In Response to Foliar Application with Zn, Mn and Fe under Newly Reclaimed Sandy Soil Conditions

Two field experiments were conducted at the Research and Production Station, National Research Centre, El-Nubaria Province, El-Behira Governorate, Egypt, during the two successive winter seasons of 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 to study the response of yield and yield components of three flax cultivars (Giza 8, Olin and Amon) to foliar application with Zn, Mn and Fe. The results revealed high significant differences among the flax genotypes in yield and its components. Giza 8 cultivar surpassed Olin and Amon cultivars in the characters of plant height (cm), technical length(cm), 1000-seed weight (g), straw yield (t/ha), fiber % and fiber yield (t/ha), while Olin cultivars produced the highest values of seed yield/ plant (g). On the other hand, Amon cultivar surpassed the other two cultivars in fruiting zone length (cm), number of branches/plant, number of capsules/plant, straw yield/plant (g), seed yield (t/ha), harvest index, oil % and oil yield (t/ha). Foliar application with Zn, Mn or Fe positively affected all the studied characters compared with control treatment with superiority to Zn over the other micronutrients. Yet, the combined application of three micronutrients was to some extent, much more effective. Yield and yield attributes and also seed oil % are significantly affected by the interaction between cultivars and foliar application with Zn, Mn and Fe. Therefore, it can be concluded that, the foliar application of Zn, Mn and Fe had positive effect on oil and fiber yields of flax plants. In general the flax cultivars were significantly different in their seed and oil yields due to application of these micronutrients as combined treatment. The highest seed and oil yields (1.574 and 0.637 t/ha, respectively) were recorded in Amon cultivar received Zn+ Mn+Fe as one treatment, while Giza 8 cultivar produced the highest fiber yield (1.289 t/ha) under the same foliar application treatment.