Update field trials flax 2026

After the exceptionally wet growing season of 2024, the persistent drought of 2025 and 2026 is presenting a new challenge for flax cultivation. Winter flax is currently retting, while spring flax is being pulled on a large scale. In some areas, the flax has suffered considerably from the thunderstorms in June. Hopefully, further severe thunderstorms and extreme weather conditions will remain absent this summer, allowing the retting process to proceed under favourable conditions.

As part of the Trans-Pathoflax 2.0 project, several trial fields were established this year in Flanders (Inagro) and France (Arvalis) to monitor the impact of three major fungal diseases on flax. The effect of the drought on the occurrence of these diseases this season remains uncertain.

Verticillium wilt

• More than 20 flax varieties were sown on a on a plot where natural inoculum of Verticillium dahliae was present, to observe their response.
• Additionally, a second trial was set up on the same plot to evaluate the effect of various biocontrol agents on flax growth and disease pressure.

Septoria & Powdery Mildew

• Around 20 varieties are being monitored for their susceptibility to Septoria and powdery mildew.
• The effectiveness of various biocontrol products – including two developed within the partner project Trans-Lipo – is also being investigated.

IPM approach to powdery mildew

• Two fibre flax varieties (tolerant vs. susceptible) are grown side by side in combination with a biocontrol agent to evaluate an integrated disease management (IPM) strategy.

One of the main challenges remains the detection of Verticillium dahliae in the field, as already highlighted in the previous Pathoflax project. To better characterize the susceptibility of the varieties to diseases, the project is making use of LITERAL, a portable phenotyping device that uses high-resolution imagery to measure greenness, crop height, canopy cover, and emergence. The aim is to identify specific secondary symptoms that could be linked to the disease, enabling faster detection and earlier intervention.