Nordic Flax – A Report on the Evaluation and Characterization of 436 Flax Accessions Conducted in Southern Sweden 2024

NordGen, the Nordic Genetic Resource Center, is an organization dedicated to safeguarding the genetic resources of the Nordic region, with a focus on conservation and sustainable use in agriculture. NordGen manages a genebank that stores approximately 33,000 accessions (seed samples) from nearly 450 different plant species, including a notable collection of 436 flax accessions. Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) has been an essential crop for centuries, with uses ranging from textiles to oil and industrial fibers. In the Nordic region, flax historically played a key role in linen production. However, the rise of industrialization, synthetic fibers, and cheaper cotton led to a decline in flax farming. Today, renewed interest in flax is driven by its potential for sustainable agriculture and eco-friendly textile production. NordGen’s flax collection represents a valuable and diverse genetic resource that can contribute to the revival of flax cultivation. This report presents an overview of the evaluation and characterization of 436 flax accessions conducted in southern Sweden in 2024. The aim is to support the sustainable use and revival of flax cultivation in the Nordic region.