ProCrop

Flax Fertilizer Recommendations

*Soil plus added nitrogen to achieve desired yield goal. Broadcast N requirement. Flax is sensitive to seed placed nitrogen fertilizer in narrow bands. More than six to 10 lbs of nitrogen in a narrow band with the seed may reduce final flax population. Wide bands of seed allows more nitrogen to be applied at seeding. Maximum total Nitrogen requirement for flax is 80 lb available Nitrogen per acre. Greater levels of Nitrogen often can contribute to increased lodging. Flax seed yield seldom increases with higher levels of Nitrogen. Avoid seed contact with EDTA chelated materials as germination may be severely reduced. Application of zinc sulfate granules with dry fertilizer would substitute for chelated materials (not zinc oxide). Test soil for zinc. Soil levels less than 0.6 ppm indicate need for zinc fertilizer. Cold, wet soils cause excessive iron and manganese levels and zinc deficiencies which may lead to tip chlorosis and tip dieback. Foliar zinc may be economic, however, plant yield response has been variable. Flax usually recovers when soils dry and warm.

P₂O₅ and K₂O

Flax may respond to 15-20 lb/A P₂O₅ on low and very low testing soils. K₂O generally is not needed in North Dakota. P₂O₅ greater than 20 lb/A placed with the seed planted with narrow openers may reduce percent flax emergence. P₂O₅ placed below or below and to the side of seed is preferred. Separating fertilizer from the seed by seed spreading or separating bands allows higher rates to be used without seedling stand loss. Stand loss at higher use rates of P₂O₅ usually does not result in significant yield loss due to plant response to phosphorus and the flax plant capability to respond to reduced stands by branching.

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