THE MOISTURE INFLUENCE ON THE CUTTING EFFORT OF OIL BAST CROP BIOMASS

The unique properties of bast crops determine the wide possibilities and waste-free using of these crops. Countries, where traditionally fibre flax is grown, are beginning to grow oil flax and hemp. This is due to the properties of the bast crops. The biomass, which remains after harvesting of bast crops for seeds, can be used to produce various products. The high yield of the oil flax stem in some geographical regions of Ukraine complicates the application of traditional technology of oil flax harvesting, which involves using the harvesters. Modern agro and industrial production involves using new universal, energy conservation and environmental technologies and stuffs, which can be quickly reconfigured to obtain products of various applications. It is possible to obtain technical fiber and solid fuel materials from the bast crop biomass after harvesting the seeds. Possibility of obtaining fiber suitable for the textile industry from the bast crops biomass (for example, oil flax and hemp) is being researched. Cutting is one of the most commonly used operations in harvesting and processing. It has its own characteristics for bast crops, because their technological characteristics (type, variety, moisture) must be taken into account. The paper shows the results of study the cutting effort of flax stems. The necessary to take into account not only the maturity phase, the type and variety of flax, but the moisture of plants during cutting (grinding) the bast crop biomass was found. Also, studies have shown that the stems of oil flax straw have less resistance to cutting. The studies make it possible to value the stem part potential of the bast crops for the possibility further use.