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Kenaf
Contributor: Charles S. Taylor, Kenaf International, Ltd., McAllen, TX [based on Dempsey
(1975)]
Copyright © 1995. All Rights Reserved. Quotation from this document should cite and acknowledge the contributor.
- Common Names
- Scientific Names
- Uses
- Origin
- Crop Status
- Botany
- Taxonomy
- Crop Culture (Agronomy/Horticulture)
- Ecology
- Cultivars
- Production Practices
- Harvesting
- Processing
- Germplasm
- Collection
- Commercial Seed Sources
- Key References
- Selected Experts
English: kenaf (Persian origin)
India (Bengal): mesta
India (Madras): palungi
India (Bombay): deccan hemp
India (Andhra Pradesh): Bimli jute
Taiwan: ambari
Egypt & northern Africa: til, teel, or teal
Indonesia: Java jute
Brazil: papoula de Sao Francisco
South Africa: stokroos
West Africa: dah, gambo, and rama
(*) According to Miyake and Suzuta (1937), there are more than 129 names for
kenaf worldwide.
Species: Hibiscus cannabinus, L.
Family: Malvaceae
Traditionally cultivated for cordage uses in Africa and Asia, some kenaf is
used by small pulp mills primarily in countries like China, India, and Thailand
(although much of the acreage in the latter is devoted to roselle (H.
sabdariffa L. var. altissma). Since the 1960's, there has been
increasing interest in kenaf as an annually renewable source of fiber for the
manufacture of newsprint and other pulp and paper products in the United States
and other countries. By early 1995, some kenaf bast fiber is being used to
make specially printing and writing grades in batch run at a pulp mill using a
modified sulfate process. As newsprint prices increase, plans for a small
newsprint mill in South Texas are likely to get another look. Meanwhile, kenaf
fibers are presently entering the market in soil-less potting mixes, animal
bedding, oil absorbents, grass and flower mats, decorative fibers, and
insulation. Research and development activities are exploring numerous other
industrial uses for the kenaf fibers. Over the past five years, ranchers have
begun using kenaf as a green-chop forage crop. A solid kenaf seed industry has
taken root in South Texas to supply this new crop industry both in the USA and
overseas.
Africa (western Sudan)
(see Dempsey (1975), and attached references)
Grown for thousands of years in Africa where its leaves are consumed in human
and animal diets, the bast fiber used for cordage, and the woody core of the
stalks burned for fuel; this crop was introduced into southern Asia around
1900. Principal production areas are China, India, and the Tashkent area of
the former USSR. Much of the kenaf production around the world is still grown
and processed under labor intensive practices. Research and development
efforts primarily in the USA since 1980 have resulted in a completely
mechanized approach to kenaf, which has reduced labor requirements and
environmental impact. However, the principal change required to effect the
commercialization of kenaf is the need to focus on product applications and
marketing of products using kenaf fibers. The systems approach postulated by
Kenaf International, Ltd. calls for putting more resources into work focusing
on market development instead of the standard production research focus.
Essentially, kenaf is a traditional, third world crop that is poised to be
introduced as a new annually renewable source of industrial fiber in the
so-called developed economies.
According to Dempsey (1975), kenaf is a short-day, annual herbaceous plant
cultivated for the soft bast fiber in its stem. More recent efforts have
identified commercial products from the woody core fibers as well. Kenaf
belongs to the Malvaceae, a family notable for both its economic and
horticultural importance. The genus Hibiscus is widespread, comprising
some 200 annual and perennial species. Kenaf is closely related to cotton,
okra, and the hollyhocks. Kenaf, along with roselle, is classified
taxonomically in the Fucaria section of Hibiscus. This section
includes between 40 and 50 species (distributed throughout the tropics) that
are closely related morphologically.
Kenaf has a relatively wide range of adaptation to climate and soils. With the
exception of some early types developed for the Asiatic regions of the former
USSR, most of the current kenaf varieties and technologies favor growing at low
elevations between 37" N and S latitudes. Optimum growth is generally found in
areas like the lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas with its long, warm
growing season and moderate rainfall backed up by irrigation.
Dempsey (1975) and Dr. Cook are authorities on kenaf cultivars. Currently, the
principal commercial varieties are: Everglades 4l, Everglades 7l, Tainung l,
Tainung 2, and Cuba 2032. The photo insensitive Guatemala 4 variety can be
obtained in small quantities. The recently released USDA line SF459 has not
yet been increased for commercial sales.
Kenaf is directed seeded with conventional grain drills after soil surface
temperature exceed 55∞F and all danger of frost has passed. The germination
rate of the seed should be at least 75 to 80%. Seed are drilled two rows per
bed on 40-inch center with an intrarow spacing of approximately 2 inches.
Effort should be made when introducing a new crop like kenaf to avoid much
change to standard local spacings. Obviously, the planting configurations must
be coordinated with harvesting plans. Land preparation is similar to other
agronomic crops, e.g., cotton. Fertilizer and irrigation should be applied as
needed. Generally, areas that are known to be heavily infested with root-knot
nematodes should be avoided as most of the currently available varieties are
susceptible. Moisture requirements vary but are believed to be between 3 and 5
inches per month during the crop's first 100 days.
Kenaf International, Ltd. with support from USDA's CSREES agency contracted
with H. Willett & Associates, Inc. to design and test a harvesting,
handling, hauling, and storage system for large-scale kenaf operations. Having
experimented unsuccessfully in the past with various types of forage choppers,
the team decided to modify the cane harvesting system used in southern
Louisiana. The system was tested in 1988 and has been used in subsequent
harvests. Essentially, the kenaf crop is topped at 12 feet and laid down to
dry in windrows. The semi-dry stalks are picked up about 10 days later, cut
into 1-ft billets, and blown into an accompanying dump buggy. The full buggies
are unloaded into field-side module builders and the modules are then hauled to
the fiber yard for storage.
Kenaf fibers can be processed traditionally using retting ponds as is common in
Asia and parts of Africa and Latin America. In the USA the fibers are
separated using a process developed by Willett at operations located in
Louisiana and Texas. A third operation has been set up in Mississippi. The
objective is to effect a mechanical separation of bast and core fiber materials
for a wide range of product applications. The degree of separation required
depends upon the end use.
As indicated earlier, the bast fiber can be pulped as a vegetable fiber for
specially pulp and paper uses. The bast fiber can also be blended with plastic
for injection molding purposes using the technology developed and patented by
Fibre Packaging International, Inc. Mats can be made from the bast fiber using
several textile and fiberglass technologies. Applications for the mats range
from seeded grass mats for instant lawns to moldable mats for manufactured
parts and containers. Some researchers are blending bast fibers with cotton
for some textile purposes, but it is not clear whether this will be
economically viable. Other potential uses include using the washed fibers in
handicrafts.
The core fibers currently are sized and sold into several markets including oil
absorbent (based on patent issued to H. and C. Willett), soil-less potting
mixes, animal bedding, packing material, organic filler for plastics, additive
for drilling muds, and insulation. It is possible compress the core in board
and it might have some specially pulp uses. Some of the core material might be
collected after its primary use, say as an absorbent or animal bedding and
prepared for other uses.
Kenaf fibers can be pulped either in whole stalk or separated forms. Although
various pulping technologies have been tested with kenaf, the only commercial
operations presently using kenaf are kraft (sulfate) mills in Thailand using
whole stalk and in North Carolina using bast fiber. Kenaf is not the principal
fiber source for either mill. Most of the work to date on kenaf for newsprint
and other printing and writing grades has focused on a modified
thermo-mechanical process, which is energy intensive.
USDA Plant Introduction Center, Experiment, GA
Kenaf International, Ltd., 120 E. Jay Ave., McAllen, TX 78504; tel.
210-687-2619; fax 210-687-2045
- Dempsey, J. M. 1975. Fiber crops. Univ. of Florida Press.
- Kugler, D. E. 1988. Kenaf Newsprint Demonstration Project. USDA.
- Numerous reports (kenaf genetics and agronomy by Dr. Cook, USDA and A. Scott, Rio Farms
- Numerous presentations and reports by Dr. Taylor, Kenaf International, Ltd.
- Numerous reports (kenaf forage) by Dr. Phillips and staff, USDA
- Reports (mostly in Italian) by Dr. Mignoni
Charles S. Taylor, Kenaf International, Ltd. 210-687-2619; fax 210-687-2045
Charles G. Cook, USDA/ARS Weslaco, TX. 210-969-4815; fax 210-969-4800
Andrew W. Scott, Jr., Rio Farms, Inc. 210-262-1387; fax 210-262-1138
Harold A. Willett, H. Willett & Associates, Inc. 318-276-3884; 318-276-9627
William A. Phillips, USDA/ARS El Reno, OK. 405-262-5291; fax 405-262-0133
Giovanni Mignoni, Rome, Italy. 396-308-883-53; fax 396-308-841-40
Yin-Tung Wang, Texas A&M University, Weslaco, TX. 210-968-5585; fax
P. K. Paul, Phoenix Pulp & Paper Co. Ltd. Thailand. 662-2548040; fax 662-2553999
M. F. (Buck) Ward, Kenaf International, Ltd. 409-445-2303; fax 210-687-2045
Garry Balthes, Fibre Packaging International, Inc. 714-248-9617; fax 714-248-2552
Marvin O. Bagby, USDA/ARS Peoria, IL. 309-685-4011; fax 309-671-7814
Arthur Owen, Ecusta division of P. F. Glatfelter Co. 704-877-2984; fax 704-883-3002
Daniel E. Kugler, USDA/CSREES Washington, DC 202401-6861; fax 202-401-5179
Contributor: Charles S. Taylor, Kenaf International, Ltd., McAllen, TX [based on Dempsey
(1975)]
Copyright © 1995. All Rights Reserved. Quotation from this document should cite and acknowledge the contributor.
Last update Tuesday, February 24, 1998 by aw