France
February 2025
The CTPS Flax and Hemp Section met on 22 January 2025, in its new composition, for the 2024-2029 term of office.
The Section validated the movements in the Official Catalogue and the proposed registrations:
- On list A, 3 varieties of hemp for fibre and seed use, 1 variety of winter fibre flax, 5 of spring fibre flax, 1 of winter oilseed flax and 4 of spring oilseed flax,
- On list B, 1 spring oilseed flax variety.
In connection with the development of fibre crops, the section validated the development of the VSCU protocol for hemp for fibre and seed use, by increasing the size of the trial network and also by proposing a technique for evaluating fibre by retting on the ground.
In addition, to support the development of the “human food” sector for hemp seed, the section has supported the setting up of a project dealing with the biochemical characterisation of seeds by NIRS for registration, accompanied by a sector survey.
The Section approved the continuation of methodological trials designed to characterise the grain yield of fibre flax varieties, in line with the expectations of professionals regarding this criterion and its inclusion in future quotations. In this area of “grain production”, closer links will be envisaged with the actions carried out by the SEMAE “Flax and Hemp” Section.
Various current or future research programmes which could be of interest for the CTPS evaluation were mentioned:
- LinicoLin, for the validity of a CTPS Septoria resistance test
- Flaxadapt, for the envirotyping of CTPS trials
- Trans-Pathoflax, for evaluating verticillium wilt, septoria and powdery mildew,
- Métallin, for measuring cadmium in oilseed flax,
- Infra-red fibre measurement, which could replace the current micro-shredding technique.
Lastly, the section was informed of the problems of seed availability to supply the market following poor yields in 2024 for hemp, and of the exceptional derogation for 2024 currently being implemented to certify new batches of second-generation seed, without a quality derogation. Another derogation has been granted to France to enable it to supply the market with fibre flax seed.
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