Typical yield
9.0 t/ha
Varieties
3
Pest/Disease
5
Seasons
6
Profile
- Growth habit
- annual
- Lifecycle (days)
- 100–150
- Primary uses
- Bast fiber (stem bark); paper/pulp; textiles; seed oil; fodder (leaf/stover)
- Pollination
- self
- Origin / distribution
- Old World tropics; cultivated in humid/sub-humid warm regions incl. East Africa
Environment
Climate
Temp optimal
24–32 °C
Rain optimal
600–1200 mm/yr
Altitude
0–1600 m
Soil
pH optimal
6–7.2
Soil type
Well-drained loam/sandy loam; fertile; good organic matter
Farmer Guide
Row spacing
40 cm
Plant spacing
20 cm
Depth
2 cm
Seed rate
20 kg/ha
Nursery days
Planting: Direct-seed on a fine, firm seedbed at onset of rains. Thin to spacing at 2–3 weeks. Keep weed-free during early growth.
Transplanting: Not commonly transplanted; direct seeding preferred.
Irrigation: Maintain adequate moisture during first 6–8 weeks and at rapid stem elongation.
Fertigation: If irrigated, split N and K into small doses; avoid excess late N to reduce lodging.
Pest scouting: Scout for defoliators, whiteflies/aphids (virus risk), and stem rots; remove diseased plants.
Pruning/Training: Not required; avoid lodging via balanced nutrition and density.
Harvest: Harvest for fiber at early pod set when stems are mature but not woody; rett stems and strip bast fiber.
Postharvest: Ret evenly (water or dew); wash and dry fiber under shade; store dry and aerated.
Nutrient Schedule
| # | Stage | DAP | Product | Rate | Targets (kg/ha) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basal | 0 | NPK 17-17-17 | 100 kg/ha | N: —, P₂O₅: —, K₂O: — | Band or broadcast and incorporate |
| 2 | Topdress 1 | 30 | Urea or CAN | 60 kg/ha | N: —, P₂O₅: —, K₂O: — | Apply on moist soil; avoid leaf contact |
| 3 | Topdress 2 (optional) | 50 | Urea (light) | 30 kg/ha | N: —, P₂O₅: —, K₂O: — | Only if crop vigor is low |
Nutrient Requirements
| Nutrient | Stage | Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| N | Basal | 40 | kg/ha |
| P₂O₅ | Basal | 30 | kg/ha |
| K₂O | Basal | 40 | kg/ha |
| N | Topdress | 40 | kg/ha |
| K₂O | Topdress | 20 | kg/ha |
| N | Late | 20 | kg/ha |
Images
| Name | Country | Maturity | Traits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Kenaf | KE | 150 | Fiber yield |
| Local fiber type | KE | 120 | Tall; good bast yield |
| Dual-purpose (fiber/biomass) | TZ | 110 | Moderate height; good biomass |
| Stage | Product | Rate (kg/ha) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basal | NPK 15-15-15 | 80 | |
| Basal | NPK 17-17-17 | 100 | At sowing |
| Topdress | Urea 46% N or CAN 26% N | 60 | ~30 DAP |
| Topdress | Urea (optional) | 30 | ~50 DAP if needed |
| Name | Type | Symptoms | Management |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stem borers | pest | Bored stems | Rotation; timely harvest |
| Hairy caterpillar/defoliators | pest | Leaf stripping; skeletonization | Early scouting; hand-pick or targeted sprays; conserve natural enemies |
| Aphids & whiteflies | pest | Honeydew/sooty mold; virus transmission | Monitor; control ants; selective insecticides if thresholds exceeded |
| Stem/foot rot (Fusarium/Pythium) | disease | Stem base rot; wilting | Rotation; well-drained fields; avoid injury; rogue plants |
| Leaf spots (Cercospora/Alternaria) | disease | Spots; premature defoliation | Spacing; sanitation; protectants if severe |
| System | Typical | Min | Max | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rainfed | 10 | 6 | 15 | Stem biomass (fresh) |
| rainfed smallholder | 2 | 1.2 | 3 | Bast fiber |
| biomass (stems, fresh) | 15 | 10 | 25 | Whole stem fresh biomass |
| Country | Region | Planting | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| KE | Humid lowlands | Mar–Apr | Jul–Oct |
| KE | Low to mid-altitudes (long rains) | Mar–Apr | Jul–Sep |
| KE | Low to mid-altitudes (short rains) | Oct–Nov | Feb–Mar |
| UG | Eastern/Central (1st rains) | Mar–Apr | Jul–Aug |
| UG | Eastern/Central (2nd rains) | Aug–Sep | Dec–Jan |
| TZ | Northern unimodal | Nov–Dec | Mar–May |
| Country | Region | Suitability |
|---|---|---|
| KE | Coastal; Lower Eastern; Lake Basin; mid-altitude warm zones | High |
| KE | Cool highlands >1800 m | Low |
| KE | Humid lowlands | High |
| KE | Poorly drained wetlands | Low |
| TZ | Coast; Morogoro; warm valleys | High |
| UG | Eastern & Central warm sub-humid | High |