PE

TIO

LE C

UR

L

Sym

ptom

s: A

vira

l dis

ease

that

cau

ses

extr

eme

curli

ng a

nd

twis

ting

of th

e pa

rtic

les.

Co

ntr

ol:

So

il a

na

lysi

s is

ne

cess

ary

. P

icki

ng

ou

t cu

rle

d le

ave

s a

nd

bu

rnin

g t

he

se w

ill p

reve

nt

the

dis

ea

se f

rom

sp

read

ing.

Reg

iste

red

pest

icid

es c

an b

e ap

plie

d or

are

rec

-om

men

ded.

”BO

HO

N”

Sym

pto

ms:

It

is c

au

sed

by

roo

t n

em

ato

de

s w

hic

h c

au

se

stu

nti

ng

of

gro

wth

an

d y

ello

w f

olia

ge

an

d e

ven

die

off

. N

odul

ar g

alls

als

o ap

pear

at t

he r

oots

.

Con

trol

: For

con

trol

the

area

sho

uld

be fl

oode

d. A

pplic

atio

n of

reg

iste

red

pest

icid

es is

rec

omm

ende

d.

Har

vest

ing

met

hods

Ken

af is

har

vest

ed a

t th

e be

ginn

ing

of fl

ower

ing,

eith

er b

y ha

nd o

r m

echa

nica

lly. S

tand

ard

cutti

ng, c

hopp

ing

and

bal-

ing

equi

pmen

t can

be

used

for

harv

estin

g ke

naf a

s a

fora

ge

and

fi bre

cro

p. It

is a

n ec

onom

ic a

dvan

tage

to u

se p

rese

ntly

av

aila

ble

com

mer

cial

har

vest

ing

equi

pmen

t. K

enaf

is h

ar-

vest

ed b

y cu

ttin

g th

e st

em n

ear

the

plan

t’s b

ase

with

any

cu

tting

tool

. The

bes

t tim

e to

har

vest

ken

af fo

r fi b

re is

dur

ing

the

plan

t’s fl

ower

ing

stag

e, m

onth

s af

ter

plan

ting

whe

n fi b

er

qual

ity a

nd q

uant

ity a

re h

ighe

st. H

arve

stin

g ke

naf f

or s

eeds

is

do

ne

4 t

o 5

,5 m

on

ths

aft

er

pla

ntin

g w

he

n 8

0 %

of

the

plan

ts h

ave

5 to

6 d

ried

caps

ules

.

Use

sK

enaf

fi br

es c

an b

e us

ed fo

r m

akin

g m

any

agric

ultu

ral a

nd

indu

stria

l app

licat

ions

like

pap

er p

ulp,

ther

mop

last

ics,

com

-po

site

s, g

eote

xtile

s, p

ottin

g m

ixes

, agr

icul

tura

l mul

ches

and

fi l

ms,

fabr

ics

and

indu

stria

l abs

orbe

nts.

Ken

af fi

bre

from

the

stem

is u

sed

for fi s

hing

net

s, r

opes

and

doo

rmat

s w

hile

fab-

ric c

an b

e w

oven

into

car

pets

, clo

th a

nd c

loth

es li

ning

. The

m

ost i

mpo

rtan

t use

of k

enaf

is p

rodu

cing

sac

ks. F

ibre

s fr

om

the

stem

can

be

used

as

anim

al li

tter

. T

he le

aves

may

be

edib

le t

o bo

th a

nim

als

and

hum

ans

and

can

be u

sed

as a

he

rb in

som

e di

shes

. Oil

prod

uced

by

the

plan

ts is

use

d fo

r fi

rst-

cla

ss c

oo

kin

g o

il a

nd

ma

rga

rin

e p

rod

uct

ion

. K

en

af

Fur

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be o

btai

ned

from

:

Dire

ctor

ate

Pla

nt P

rodu

ctio

nP

rivat

e B

ag X

250

PR

ET

OR

IA 0

001

Tel

. +

27 1

2 31

9 60

79F

ax

+27

12

319

6372

E-m

ail

DP

P@

daff.

gov.

za

2012

Prin

ted

and

publ

ishe

d by

:

D

epar

tmen

t of A

gric

ultu

re, F

ores

try a

nd F

ishe

ries

D

irect

orat

e C

omm

unic

atio

n S

ervi

ces

P

rivat

e B

ag X

144

P

RE

TOR

IA

0001

Sci

entifi

c n

ame:

H

ibis

cus

cann

abin

us L

.

Com

mon

nam

es:

Ken

af (

Eng

lish)

; Mes

ta, s

tock

-ros

e, b

asta

rd-ju

te,

Java

-jute

,

Sto

kroo

s (A

frik

aans

)

Ken

afK

enaf

agric

ultu

re,

fore

stry

& fi

sher

ies

Dep

artm

ent:

Agric

ultu

re, f

ores

try &

fish

erie

sR

EPU

BLI

C O

F SO

UTH

AFR

ICA

seed

s ca

n be

use

d in

sal

ads,

for

cook

ing

(fl o

ur)

and

lubr

ica-

tion

, a

s w

ell

as

for

the

ma

nu

fact

uri

ng

of

soa

p,

lino

leu

m,

pain

ts a

nd v

arni

shes

. Ken

af c

onta

ins

man

y po

tent

ially

use

-fu

l co

mp

ou

nd

s fo

r m

ed

icin

es

to e

ase

pro

ble

ms

such

as

brui

sing

, cut

s an

d ac

hes.

Ack

now

ledg

emen

tM

em

be

rs o

f A

gri

-Afr

ica

/Ka

rwil

Co

nsu

ltan

cy a

re a

ckn

ow

l-ed

ged

for

the

info

rmat

ion

prov

ided

.

The

con

trib

utio

n of

the

Nat

iona

l Lib

rary

of

Sou

th A

fric

a is

gr

atef

ully

ack

now

ledg

ed.

Ref

eren

ces

Hitt

ersa

y, P

. 200

5. S

A k

enaf

pro

duct

ion

hold

s gr

eat p

rom

ise:

cro

ps. F

arm

er’s

W

eekl

y, v

ol. 1

5: 4

8–50

.

http

://re

gion

10.d

ost.g

ov.p

h/in

dex.

php?

optio

n=co

m

Bac

kgro

und

Ken

af is

a w

arm

sea

son,

sho

rt-d

ay, a

nnua

l her

bace

ous

bast

fi b

re p

lant

whi

ch o

rigin

ated

from

Wes

t Afr

ica.

Ken

af b

elon

gs

to t

he

fa

mily

ca

lled

Ma

lva

cea

e (

Ma

llow

) fo

r b

oth

its

eco

-no

mic

and

hor

ticul

tura

l im

port

ance

. Und

er g

ood

cond

ition

s ke

naf w

ill g

row

to a

hei

ght o

f 5 to

6 m

in 6

to 8

mon

ths.

It is

m

ostly

unb

ranc

hed

and

rapi

dly

reac

hes

mat

urity

, in

only

4 to

5

mon

ths

the

plan

ts c

an g

row

to 2

to 5

m ta

ll w

ith a

dia

met

er

of 1

2 m

m. I

n S

outh

Afr

ica

kena

f is

foun

d in

Kw

aZul

u-N

atal

M

idla

nds.

Clim

atic

and

soi

l req

uire

men

ts

Ken

af is

bes

t su

ited

to a

tro

pic

or s

ubtr

opic

clim

ate

whe

re

the

mea

n da

ily t

empe

ratu

re d

urin

g th

e gr

owin

g se

ason

is

mor

e th

an 2

0 °C

. Opt

imum

tem

pera

ture

s fo

r gr

owth

are

15

to 2

7 °C

, al

thou

gh m

ean

daily

tem

pera

ture

s ab

ove

20 °

C

are

fa

vou

rab

le t

hro

ug

ho

ut

the

gro

win

g s

ea

son

. It

is q

uite

se

nsiti

ve to

coo

l tem

pera

ture

s an

d do

es n

ot to

lera

te fr

ost.

It is

als

o se

nsiti

ve to

sun

light

. Ken

af g

row

s w

ell i

n a

varie

ty o

f so

il ty

pes

but i

t doe

s be

st in

dee

p, r

ich

loam

that

is n

eith

er

acid

ic n

or a

lkal

ine.

To

ensu

re a

goo

d cr

op,

soil

mus

t ha

ve

suffi

cien

t qua

ntity

qua

ntity

x of

org

anic

mat

ter.

The

cro

p pr

e-fe

rs w

ell-d

rain

ed s

oil o

f med

ium

text

ure.

Cul

tura

l pra

ctic

es

Soi

l pre

para

tion

The

land

sho

uld

be p

loug

hed

at le

ast

20 c

m d

eep

once

or

twic

e, d

epen

ding

on

the

soil

type

whe

n pl

antin

g ke

naf.

The

fu

rrow

s m

ust b

e 30

to 4

8 an

d 60

to 9

6 cm

apa

rt fo

r fi b

er a

nd

seed

pro

duct

ion,

res

pect

ivel

y.

Pla

ntin

g

Fo

r fib

er

pro

du

ctio

n,

ken

af

sho

uld

be

pla

nte

d d

uri

ng

th

e m

onth

s of

Apr

il to

Oct

ober

to e

xpos

e th

e pl

ant t

o lo

ng d

ay-

light

. It

req

uire

s 12

½ t

o 12

¾ h

ours

or

long

er f

or p

rodu

cing

lo

ng

ste

ms.

To

pro

du

ce s

ee

ds,

ke

na

f sh

ou

ld b

e p

lan

ted

fro

m N

ove

mb

er

to D

ece

mb

er

wh

en

da

yle

ng

th i

s sh

ort

. P

lant

ing

dept

h is

abo

ut 0

,5 to

3,2

cm

. See

d is

bro

adca

sted

or

dri

lled

to a

row

spa

cing

of

20 t

o 30

cm

with

5 t

o 10

cm

be

twee

n ro

ws.

Ofte

n tw

o se

eds

are

drill

ed a

nd o

ne s

eedl

ing

rem

oved

if g

erm

inat

ion

has

been

goo

d to

ens

ure

an e

ven

stan

d fo

r th

e pr

oduc

tion

of u

nifo

rm s

talk

s.

Pro

paga

tion

Pro

paga

tion

is d

one

by s

eed.

Fer

tilis

atio

n

Du

rin

g f

ert

ilisa

tion

20

0 t

o 2

50

kg

of

am

mo

niu

m s

ulp

ha

te

with

21

% n

itrog

en g

ive

bette

r yi

elds

and

sho

uld

be a

pplie

d on

the

furr

ows

and

cove

red

with

soi

l of 2

to 3

cm

thic

k be

fore

so

win

g. F

ertil

iser

sho

uld

be a

pplie

d ag

ain

18 to

25

days

af-

ter

sow

ing

whe

n th

e se

eds

have

spr

oute

d an

d ag

ain

whe

n th

e pl

ants

are

60

to 7

0 da

ys o

ld a

roun

d th

e ar

ea 4

cm

from

th

e pl

ant’s

bas

e, th

en c

over

ed w

ith th

e so

il. F

or h

igh

yiel

ds

adeq

uate

nitr

ogen

fert

ilisa

tion

of 6

0 to

100

kg N

/ha

is r

ecom

-m

ende

d.

Irrig

atio

n

In l

ow

-ra

infa

ll re

gio

ns,

irr

iga

tio

n s

ho

uld

be

ap

plie

d w

ith

abou

t 240

to 4

90 m

m a

nd e

venl

y di

strib

uted

ove

r th

e 4

to 5

m

onth

gro

win

g cy

cle.

Wee

d co

ntro

l

We

ed

ing

is

do

ne

3 t

o 4

we

eks

aft

er

pla

nti

ng

. O

nce

th

e pl

ants

are

est

ablis

hed

and

have

out

grow

n th

e w

eeds

, wee

d-in

g is

no

long

er n

eede

d.

Pes

t con

trol

Ken

af p

lant

s ar

e pr

one

to s

mal

l bla

ckfl y

bee

tle a

nd tu

ssoc

k m

oth.

Sym

ptom

s: F

ly b

eetle

s at

tack

the

plan

t’s le

aves

and

ste

ms

at it

s la

tter

stag

e of

gro

wth

. Tus

sock

mot

hs tu

nnel

s in

to th

e st

em.

Con

trol

: The

con

trol

of t

hese

pes

ts c

an b

e do

ne b

y ha

rves

t-in

g ea

rly in

fest

ed a

reas

or

by s

pray

ing

with

con

tact

inse

cti-

cide

s.

Ken

af is

hos

t to

oth

er s

ever

al in

sect

pes

ts,

incl

udin

g pi

nk

bollw

orm

, spi

ny b

ollw

orm

and

cot

ton

aphi

d. T

hese

pes

ts d

o no

t cau

se s

ever

e da

mag

e an

d yi

eld

loss

. Pes

t tol

eran

t var

i-

etie

s an

d cr

op r

otat

ion

are

the

mos

t eco

nom

ic a

nd e

ffect

ive

met

hods

of c

ontr

ollin

g su

ch p

ests

at p

rese

nt.

Dis

ease

con

trol

Ken

af is

affe

cted

by

com

mon

dis

ease

s su

ch a

s B

otry

tis c

i-ne

rea

and

Scl

erot

ium

rol

fsii,

ant

hrac

nose

, lea

f mos

aic,

pet

i-ol

e cu

rl an

d ro

ot n

emat

ode

(Mel

oido

gyne

spp

.).

AN

TH

RA

CN

OS

E (

CO

LLE

CT

OT

RIC

HU

M H

IBIS

CI)

Sym

ptom

s: T

his

fung

al d

isea

se in

fest

s yo

ung

leav

es, s

tip-

ules

and

mer

iste

ms

or g

row

ing

tips

whi

ch tu

rn b

row

n, w

ither

an

d di

e of

f.

Con

trol

: Thi

s ca

n be

con

trol

led

by s

pray

ing

copp

er o

xych

lo-

ride

ont

o th

e le

aves

eve

ry o

ther

wee

k. B

efor

e pl

antin

g on

pr

evio

usly

affe

cted

are

as, t

reat

thes

e w

ith 5

0 kg

pot

assi

um

per

hect

are.

LEA

F M

OS

AIC

Sym

ptom

s: It

cau

ses

a ch

loro

tic m

ottli

ng o

f lea

f lam

ina,

re-

sulti

ng in

low

yie

ld.

Con

trol

: A s

oil a

naly

sis

shou

ld b

e do

ne a

nd b

alan

ced

nutr

i-en

ts a

pplie

d be

fore

pla

ntin

g.