Kenaf

Kenaf

　　Kenaf

　　It is an annual herbaceous bast fiber crop of the genus Hibiscus in the Malvaceae family. Also known as jute hemp, hibiscus hemp, or bell hemp. There are two views on its origin: native to India or tropical Africa. It is widely cultivated in China, Thailand, India, and the former Soviet Union, followed by Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cuba, Brazil, Indonesia, and Iran. China introduced the crop in 1928, but cultivation was halted in the 1950s due to anthracnose disease. Production resumed and developed in the 1960s with the promotion of disease-resistant varieties. It is grown in provinces and autonomous regions such as Guangdong, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Henan, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, and Sichuan.

　　The kenaf plant has an upright stem, growing 3–5 meters tall and 1.5–2.0 centimeters in diameter, with colors ranging from green, purple, red, to light red. Leaves are either palmately lobed or broad ovate. The flowers are pale yellow or milky white, with five stigmatic lobes and purple or red stigmas. The fruit is a capsule, and the seeds are kidney-shaped. Kenaf is classified based on leaf shape, stem color, and maturity period. In India, it is divided into 5 varieties and 8 types; in China, into 13 types. Japan classifies varieties based on their response to light and temperature into photoperiod-sensitive and temperature-sensitive types.

　　Kenaf is a short-day, warm-loving crop. It thrives at an optimal growth temperature of 25°C, requires a frost-free period of over 150 days, and about 500 mm of rainfall during the growing season. It grows well in deep sandy loam soil. Seedlings are sensitive to waterlogging, but mature plants are highly resistant, making it a reliable crop in flood-prone areas. Longer daylight hours during the growth period promote vegetative growth, while shorter daylight encourages reproductive growth. Therefore, late-maturing superior varieties can be bred in low-latitude regions, while fibers are harvested in high-latitude areas. Proper planting density increases the proportion of primary fibers and improves quality. The plant reaches technical maturity—when it flowers and produces a small number of capsules—and is ready for harvest. The entire plant is then processed or the bark is stripped, retted, and washed. Major pests and diseases of kenaf include anthracnose, root-knot nematode, cutworms, aphids, and cotton leafworms.

　　In 1980, Yucheng was designated by the Shandong Provincial Agricultural Commission, Planning Commission, and Finance Commission as the province’s kenaf production base. Its cultivation history spans nearly a century. The product is renowned for its soft texture, silvery-white color, glossy finish, and high tensile strength.

　　 Yucheng County has nearly a hundred years of history in kenaf cultivation. The county boasts unique natural conditions suitable for kenaf, as the crop thrives in alkaline…

　　soil. Before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, some villages grew kenaf sporadically, mostly utilizing gully heads, trench cliffs, and saline-alkali land. After the founding of the PRC, efforts were made to expand kenaf sources and increase cultivation.

　　Particularly in towns such as Lunzhen, Yuanying, and Juzhen, where saline-alkali land is abundant, these areas became major kenaf production bases. By 1971, the county’s kenaf cultivation area had reached

　　over 50,000 mu, with yields increasing year by year. Under normal conditions, the yield averaged 200–250 kilograms per mu. In 1982, farmer Tai Youde from Tailou Village, Yuanying Township, planted kenaf on 8 mu of saline-alkali and reclaimed land, achieving a yield of 297 kilograms per mu, totaling 2,376 kilograms, with an income of 2,375 yuan. In 1973, Yucheng began exporting kenaf, with the county’s annual export volume reaching around 2 million kilograms, peaking at 3 million kilograms, primarily sold to Thailand, West Germany, and other destinations. In 1980, the Provincial Agricultural Commission,

　　Planning Commission, and Finance Commission designated Yucheng County as the province’s kenaf production base.

　　year export volume in 2 million kilograms or so, the highest up to 3 million kilograms, mainly sold to Thailand, Federal Germany and other places.

　　1980, the provincial agriculture committee,