A recent field experiment conducted in Sindh, Pakistan, has demonstrated that three Chinese flaxseed varieties - Longya-10, Longya-14, and Longxuan-1 - outperform the local check variety Ilsi-90 when applied with balanced NPK and boron fertilization, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Wednesday. Led by Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS) and Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), the study aims to address the declining flaxseed cultivation in Pakistan, where productivity (692 kg/ha) lags far behind global leaders like China (1,000 kg/ha) and Canada (1,385 kg/ha).

The experiment adopted a standard randomized block design with three replications and five fertilizer treatments. Data on agronomic traits including plant height, branches per plant and grain yield, as well as nutrient concentrations in leaves and seeds were collected. Longya-14 stood out among all tested varieties: under optimal fertilization, it reached a plant height of 78.5 cm, with 17 branches and 12 seed pods per plant.

Its 1000-seed weight hit 7.5 g, grain yield reached 1,089.3 kg/ha, and oil content touched 40.12%. Plus, its leaves and seeds contained higher levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) than Ilsi-90. Ilsi-90 showed lower productivity and nutrient uptake efficiency even under improved fertilization; it only exhibited higher leaf boron concentration under the optimal treatment but failed to match the overall performance of Chinese varieties.

The study, published in the Journal of Ecological Engineering in August, 2025, confirms that combining balanced NPK fertilizer with boron - together with nutrient-responsive Chinese varieties (especially Longya-14) - can substantially enhance flax yield and seed nutritional quality in Sindh’s nutrient-deficient soils, providing a practical solution to revitalize Pakistan’s flaxseed industry.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China