Effect of row spacing and lineal sowing density of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) yield components in the North-West of Argentina

Abstract

The plant density and spatial arrangement of kenaf is an important aspect in kenaf fiber production. A field plant density experiment was conducted at Ledesma (Jujuy, Argentina) in 2001 on a sandy loam soil. The treatments used were different combinations of 35 and 70 cm row spacings with lineal sowing densities of 25 and 40 plants m-1, and were applied to the Cuba 108, Endora and Tainung 1 cultivars. Two indices (bark content and bark index) related to fiber yield and useful for the individual selection of plants were measured. The combination of 35 cm row spacing and 25 plants m-1 lineal sowing density, representing an initial density of 714,286 plants ha-1, resulted in the best dry bark yield for the three cultivars. As a result of strong intraspecific competition, height and diameter of the plants decreased while plant density increased. The initial lineal density of 40 plants m-1 was not advantageous in comparison to 25 plants m-1, because plant survival rates were reduced at 40 plants m-1 and yield did not increase linearly.