ARS | Publication request: KENAF YIELDS

Submitted to: Kenaf Association International Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 10, 2000
Publication Date: June 1, 2000
Citation: WEBBER III, C.L. KENAF YIELDS. KENAF ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. 2000. P. 30.

Technical Abstract: A very important aspect of commercial production of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is variety selection. Kenaf varieties differ in their leaf morphology (entire or deeply divided leaves), the degree of branching, biomass proportions (bark:core and leaf:stalk ratios), and initiation of flowering (photosensitive and photoinsensitive). These differences among varieties are reflected in the crop's yield components. A 3-yr field stud was conducted at Lane, OK to determine the yield differences among sixteen kenaf varieties produced under a dry land production system. Each year the kenaf was planted in early May on 30-in rows in a Bernow fine sandy loam, 0 to 3% slope, at a planting rate of 101,000 seeds/a. The growing seasons averaged 171 days and 28 inches of rainfall. The kenaf varieties included 'Cuba 108', 'Cuba 2032', 'Cubano', 'Everglades 41', 'Everglades 71', 'GR- 2563', 'Guatemala 4', 'Guatemala 45', 'Guatemala 48', 'Guatemala 51', 'India', 'KK60', 'Tainung #1', 'Tainung #2', '78-18GS-3', and '78-18RS-10' The stalk yields averaged across the 3 years ranged from 4.9 to 9.7 t/a, with an average yield of 7.0 t/a/yr (all yields are based on oven-dry weight, zero percent moisture). Tainung #2, a photoinsensitive variety with deeply divided leaves, was the most consistent and best performing variety with stalk yields averaging 9.7 t/a/yr. India, a variety that is shorter with greater branching, had the lowest stalk yields two out of three years, and the lowest 3-yr average stalk yield, 4.9 t/a/yr. The stalk biomass percentage, which is the percentage of stalk by weight on a whole plant basis, ranged from 84% (KK60, Guatemala 45, and India) to 91% (Everglades 41) averaged across the 3-yr study. When averaged across varieties and years the stalk yields increased as the stalk biomass