Plant maturity and kenaf yield components

Published Date
Industrial Crops and Products
September 2002, Vol.16(2):81–88, doi:10.1016/S0926-6690(02)00011-0

• Author 

• Charles L. Webber III ^a,,
• Venita K. Bledsoe ^b

• aUSDA, ARS, SCARL, P.O. Box 159, Hwy 3 West, Lane, OK 74555, USA
• bTexas A&M, P.O. Box 3011, Commerce, TX 75428, USA

Received 29 December 2001. Accepted 8 February 2002. Available online 13 March 2002. 

Abstract

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), an alternative fiber crop for paper pulp production, is normally grown during the entire summer growing season (150 days and longer) to maximize fiber production. However, it may be advantageous to harvest the kenaf crop earlier than 150 days after planting (DAP) depending on the harvesting conditions (e.g. soil moisture or equipment availability) or marketing opportunities (price fluctuations or alternative uses). In addition to affecting the final stalk yield, harvesting kenaf at an earlier maturity may significantly alter the composition of the kenaf plant. The objective of this field study was to determine the effect of kenaf plant maturity on kenaf yield components. Kenaf cultivar ‘Everglades 41’ was planted at Lane, Oklahoma, USA, in the spring of 1996, 1997, and 1998 on 76 cm row spacing at 250 000 plants per hecatre. Kenaf plots were harvested at four harvest dates, 60, 90, 120, and 150 DAP. At each harvest date, plants from a 3 m length of row were cut at ground level and used to determine plant population, plant height, stalk, leaf and whole plant yields, stalk and leaf percentage by weight, and the rate of plant growth during the selected growing season. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with five replications. Harvest age (60, 90, 120, and 150 DAP) did not significantly affect plant populations, but significantly affected all other yield parameters. Kenaf plant height, stalk yield, stalk percentage, and total plant biomass yields were consistently significantly greater at 150 DAP than at 60, 90, and 120 DAP for the 3 year study. Although the growth rates per day did level off or even decreased after 120 DAP, the significant increases in stalk yields after 120 DAP justify the additional 30 day growth. This research provides information that can be applied to both kenaf fiber and forage production, especially in gaining a greater understanding of the relative response of the kenaf yield components and partitioning of dry matter during the growing season. The research procedures can also be used for evaluating kenaf cultivars that may be more suitable for forage production, by identifying cultivars that have greater leaf biomass yields and leaf percentages earlier in the season and increasing values throughout the growing season.

Keywords

Kenaf

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Yield components

Biomass

Plant height

Harvest age

---

 Table 1

Table 1.

 Table 2

Table 2.

 Table 3

Table 3.

• *
  Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-580-889-7395; fax: +1-580-889-5783

Copyright © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

For further details log on website :
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669002000110