Drying Behavior of Flax Stems at Different Degrees of Dew Retting Under Simulated Rainfall: Implications for Smart Agriculture and Sensor Development

Ali Reda (), Lionel Buchaillot and Steve Arscott
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Ali Reda: Institut d’Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie (IEMN), Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, Centrale Lille, CNRS, University Lille, 59000 Lille, France
Lionel Buchaillot: Institut d’Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie (IEMN), Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, Centrale Lille, CNRS, University Lille, 59000 Lille, France
Steve Arscott: Institut d’Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie (IEMN), Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, Centrale Lille, CNRS, University Lille, 59000 Lille, France

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: Dew retting of flax stems is a key agricultural process which facilitates fiber extraction from parent stems. If sensors are to be developed to monitor the degree of retting for optimal fiber extraction, then stem characteristics such as water uptake and loss need to be accurately known. Here, the moisture uptake and drying behavior of short flax stem samples in different degrees of dew retting is studied. Their drying is characterized in laboratory conditions following simulated light and heavy rainfall. The data were accurately fitted with the Page model of moisture loss. It was observed that the drying rate constant of small flax stem samples is smaller for simulated light rain compared to simulated heavy rain. Also, over-retted stem samples dry more rapidly compared to under-retted samples. The findings suggest that this is due to the degradation of the external tissue of the stems observed in the over-retted samples. The results could be useful for laboratory testing of flax stems and designers of emerging technological sensor-based tools used to monitor the degree of retting in controlled conditions.

Keywords: flax stems; dew retting; moisture content; drying; Page model; digital agriculture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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