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In the frame of the SINFONI project coordinated by FRD, a multidisciplinary study of flax retting was conducted by FARE in collaboration with University of Lille and University of Kyoto. In this study, we implemented a new multimodal approach to study the dynamics of flax retting by combining targeted metagenomics and enzyme activity analyses, as well as chemical and microscopic characterizations of flax straw collected from the field during the retting process.

The main stem modifications are explained by the degradation of the pectin-rich and non-lignified thin walls of the parenchyma surrounding the fiber bundles, and of the xylem cells undergoing differentiation. This biotic and abiotic process has little effect on the ultrastructure of the secondary wall of the fibers, whose mechanical properties are improved during the final stages of retting. The degree of retting has a small but significant effect on the tensile properties of thermoplastic composites.

Read: Chabbert B*, Padovani J, Djemiel C, Ossemond J, Lemaître A, Yoshinaga A, Hawkins S, Grec S, Beaugrand J, Kurek B. Multimodal assessment of flax dew retting and its functional impact on fibers and natural fiber composites. Industrial Crops and Products 2020, 148, 11225  

Contacts: Dr Brigitte Chabbert, brigitte.chabbert@inrae.fr
                 Dr Bernard Kurek, bernard.kurek@inrae.fr