Flax – humble native forest plant and garden ornamental, or industry for the future?

That’s something several New Zealand organisations are investigating, to determine what the potential of this plant is and how best to manage it. 

Their efforts have the potential to resurrect a former very successful New Zealand industry, but with new biotechnology twists.

Thousands of hectares of flax plantations across New Zealand supplied a thriving linen industry a hundred years ago which at one stage was bigger than wool production, and only disappeared with the popularity of the synthetic fibre in the 1970’s.    And of course, native flax, or harakeke, has always been an integral part of traditional Maori culture, particularly with weaving.

Now entirely new health and cosmetic uses are developing, taking advantage of flax’s beneficial bioactive qualities.  The fashion industry is taking a new look at the natural qualities of materials and papers from flax, and other new fibre and flax oil products are also under investigation.  Land-owners are looking at the ability of flax plantings near waterways to absorb nitrogen run-off, and at the potential to convert flax by-products into quality animal feed.

Science is also taking a more active role, addressing issues such as flax growth and seasonality, its bioactive qualities, nutrient uptake abilities, feed quality and nutritional value, the qualities of the polyunsaturated flax oil, yield and practical production issues.

The effort brings together the New Zealand Flax Farmers Group, crown research institutes, regional councils, fledgling commercial groups, Maori organisations, and farmers, co-ordinated by project manager and flax enthusiast Elizabeth McGruddy from Landventures Ltd. 

“Flax can only be described as a truly multi-purpose plant, with great natural connotations and which can grow in a range of climates and environments,  “ Ms McGruddy said.

All of this has the potential for an exciting new biomaterial industry for rural New Zealand, particularly for niche and novel products, based on sound scientific information.  This could mean small areas of flax planted for a specific purpose  or major plantations. 

The size of the flax industry last century meant some basic studies were conducted on how much flax can be produced per hectare, but it’s time to refresh and update that information, bearing in mind these developing and planned new uses.  The feasibility and the economic value for flax production can then be quantified for future use.

Over the next three years, a Sustainable Farming Fund project will determine the practicalities of establishing New Zealand flax as an integrated or special-purpose species for on-farm plantings, for larger-scale environmental management for iwi land development, and for the establishment of regional enterprises based on flax extractives.

AgResearch’s role
 

AgResearch is investigating two important aspects of flax production, with investment from MAF’s Sustainable Farming Fund.

One of the problems likely to face a growing industry producing products such as flax gel for use in natural cosmetics, is the waste fibre and by-products.  AgResearch Grasslands scientist Dr Annette Litherland is looking at uses for this waste, by  seeing if there is a way to convert it to animal feed.  Obviously it would have to be nutritious and digestible, so Dr Litherland is conducting rumen studies on flax extracts to quantify the nutritional properties of such fibre.

Dr Litherland’s also investigating the anthelmintic values of flax leaves, because there is anecdotal historical information of flax treatments for unthrifty calves.

Meanwhile Dr Grant Douglas, also from AgResearch Grasslands, is carrying out some basic agronomic work, including determining total biomass (top and root) of flax plants in new and older flax plantations.  He’s particularly interested in the usefulness of flax plants on dairy and other farms to absorb excess nitrogen from riparian areas, but just how much nitrogen they can absorb, and how and when to harvest the plants to prevent them from then breaking down and re-releasing nitrogen, has to be understood first.

Dr Douglas is studying flax on three different lower North Island sites, and has already conducted some measurements to compare nutrient levels in different aged flax bushes.

The New Zealand flax being researched here (Phormium tenax) is from a different family than the linum flax, grown overseas for producing linen and flax seed oil.