Jute Production

Table of Contents 1. Introduction ...... 2 2. Origin, Distribution and Production of ...... 2 3. Use and Importance of Jute ...... 3 4. Soil and Climatic Requirements ...... 3

• Soil: ...... 3

• Temperature ...... 3

• Moisture...... 4

• Light ...... 4 5. Varieties ...... 4 6. Manure and Fertilizer Management ...... 4 7. Land Preparation...... 5 8. Seed Rate ...... 5 9. Sowing Time ...... 5 10. Sowing Methods ...... 5 11. Spacing ...... 5 12. Agronomic Practices ...... 6 13. Water or Irrigation and Weed Management ...... 6 14. Harvesting...... 7 15. Steeping ...... 7 16. Retting ...... 8 17. Ribbon Retting ...... 8 18. Extraction ...... 9 19. Quality Parameters ...... 9

• Length of Fibre: ...... 9

• Strength of Fibre: ...... 9

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• Colour of the Fibre: ...... 9

• Luster of the Fibre: ...... 9

• Stiffness and Hardness: ...... 9

• Fitness of Fibre: ...... 9

• Percentage of Cuttings of Stem or Percentage of Cutting of Fibre: ...... 9

• Proportion of faulty materials: ...... 9 20. Defects of Jute Fiber ...... 9

• Cutting: ...... 9

• Dazed fibre: ...... 10

• Stiff fibre: ...... 10

1. Introduction Jute is a natural fiber with golden and silky shine and hence known as Golden Fibre. Jute is cheapest vegetable fibre and second most important vegetable fibre after . Scientific Name: Corchorus spp. Family: Tiliaceae Common Name: Jute

2. Origin, Distribution and Production of Jute Jute has two cultivable species • Corchorus capsularis – originated from Indo-Burma region. • – Originated from Africa Wild species of Jute include Corchorus oestuans, Corchorus tridens, Corchorus trilocularis, Corchorus urticifolices, Corchorus japanicum.

Differences between the two cultitvable species of jute Corchorus capsularis (White Jute) Corchorus olitorius (Tossa Jute) Originated from Indo Burma region Originated from African region It is herbaceous annual with slender and It has cylindrical stem and grows up straight stem and grow s to a height of 1.5 to a height of 5m to 4m with tapering stem Leaves are glabrous, ovate & oblong Leaves are glabrous, coarsely toothed

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Pods are round in shape Pods are elongated Fibre Quality is poor Fibre quality is Finer, Softer, Stronger and more lustrous than C..capsularis Tolerates water logging, can be grown on Cannot tolerate water logging both uplands and lowlands occupying grown only on uplands hence more area of cultivation occupying low area of cultivation Seed rate 10 to 11 Kg/hac, Spacing 30 X 5 cm Seed rate – 6 to 7 Kg/ha, Spacing – 20 X 5 cm Fertilizer requirement is high Fertilizer requirement is low It withstands water logging It withstands drought

Jute is extensively grown in , , , , Mayanmar, . 90% of world jute comes from India and Bangladesh. In Nepal, cultivated in Morang, Sunsari, Jhapa, Siraha and Dhanusha district. Jute Research Centre located in Itahari (Sunsari dist.).

Jute is a typical plant of humid tropics and subtropics. World total production of jute as of 2014 is 3,393,248 tonnes. Area of production, Production and yield of jute in Nepal as of 2014/2015 is 8641ha, 12546.5mt, and 1452kg/ha respectively.

3. Use and Importance of Jute Jute fibre is used in manufacturing rugs, carpets, coarse fibres, twines and coarse blankets. Broken fibres of Jute is called ‘Tow’ which is used in making low grade paper. Jute waste is used as fuel in ma king activated charcoal. In market Jute and Mesta fibres are together known as “Raw Jute”. Leaves of Jute have medicinal Properties. The economic effect of jute production is indirectly related with that of rice. It is due to the fact that they are both grown on the same type of soil.

4. Soil and Climatic Requirements • Soil: Jute can be cultivated on all kinds of soil from clay to sandy loam but, loamy alluvial soils are most favorable for it. Usually sandy and heavy clay soils are not suitable for jute cultivation. Jute can tolerate a pH ranging from 5.0 to 8.6, but thrives best in the normal soil reaction i.e., pH 6 to 7.5. • Temperature Jute is a typical plant of humid tropics and sub-tropics. It is highly responsive to temperature and grows well where the daily mean temperature during vegetation

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never below 16-18C. Temperature of 25 to 35C are found to be best for growth and formation of reproductive organs as well as for blossoming. • Moisture The jute is highly demanding in moisture. Thus, raised in humid tropics and subtropics areas with 130-180 cm annual rainfall. The minimum rainfall required for jute cultivation is 100 cm per year. The crop can be cultivated in the dry tropic and subtropics only under irrigation. The jute plants are sensitive to high moisture levels during intensive growth and maturation. • Light Both species are typical short-day plant. Long photoperiods prolong the vegetative period and the plants flower with the approach of short day of late August and September, irrespective of the sowing period. For the visible flower bud initiation, the critical light period seems to be about 12-12.5 hours, above which the flowering is retarded. C. olitorius is more responsive to short light period than C. capsularis.

5. Varieties For Eastern Terai: Itahari-1, Itahari-2

6. Manure and Fertilizer Management N is the most important, that increased the vegetative growth as well as fibre yield of jute. P helps to prevent lodging, improves fibre quality and increases NUE. Excess of N sometimes lowers the fibre quality, but presence of P in proper ratio maintains the quality by increasing the fibre length and decreasing the width.

Generally, in addition to organic manure, N: 20-60 kg/ha for olitorius and 40-80 kg/ha for capsularis; 20-40 kg of P2O5 and 20-60 kg of K2O per ha.

Recommended doses for olitorius is 30:15:30 kg NPK/ha and capsularis is 40:20:40 kg NPK/ha.

The total dose of nitrogen is divided into two equal parts and applied as basal and 1-2 top/side dressings at 4-6 weeks of crop age. At this stage the crop requirement in nitrogen is maximum. Nitrogen is generally top-dressed after weeding and thinning. As jute is a monsoon crop, often nitrogenous fertilizers are leached out during the heavy rains. So, it is desirable to apply ammonium sulphate as a source

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of nitrogen during top-dressing. Phosphatic and potassic fertilizers are applied before sowing or at sowing.

Compost or farm-yard manure is applied at the rate of 5 to 8 tons per hectare and incorporated into the soil at least one month before sowing.

7. Land Preparation The jute seeds are small in size and are sown at a shallower depth. Thus, it requires a clean, clod free field with fine tilth for its successful establishment. To fulfill this requirement of jute of the field is ploughed and cross harrowed 5-6 times followed by planking. In Nepal, the field is ploughed 3-4 times with local plough and then leveled for sowing.

8. Seed Rate For line sowing: 6-8kg/ha for white jute and 4-5kg/ha for tossa jute.

9. Sowing Time For proper germination requires soil moisture level of 25-45%. Starts from month of march and extends up to may. Optimum for white is March-April. Optimum for Tossa is April-May. Sowing in April gives best results for both.

10. Sowing Methods Line sowing is common in Jute. Drilling: The sowing of jute in line is done with seed drill at 20 cm (olitorius) - 30 cm (capsularis) and 5 to 7 cm between the plants. The seed should be shown not deeper than 2-3 cm. Broadcasting: seeds are first mixed with loose soil and sowing is carried out in cross-wise direction in order to ensure even distribution of seeds and uniform plant stand. After sowing, planking is done to cover the seeds and bring them in close contact with moist soil which promotes germination.

11. Spacing R-R: 20cm and 30 cm for Tossa and White jute respectively. P-P: 5-7cm. Depth of sowing 2-3cm, may be up to 5cm.

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12. Agronomic Practices Cropping Pattern: Under Irrigated Condition: Jute-Rice-Wheat Jute-Rice-Barley Jute-Rice-Potato Jute-Rice-Mustard

Under Rainfed Condition: Jute-Rice-Lentil Jute-Wheat or Barley Jute-Mustard

13. Water or Irrigation and Weed Management Irrigation Management: Jute yields higher under irrigated conditions but is negatively influenced by water logging. Critical stages for moisture are germination and knee-high stage. Capsularis jute shows more tolerance to drought condition than Olitorius. 1 pre sowing irrigation and 3 post sowing irrigation in early jute increases fiber production. Jute seed requires 22% moisture for assured germination

Weed Management: Amaranthus sp, Cynodon dactylon, Digitaria sp, Cyperus rotundus, Chorchorus tricularis, Digera arvensis etc are major weeds. Critical stages of weed-crop competition is 20-35 DAS (30-70% yield reduction). In well-drained soil, mulching with rice straw @ 10 tons/ha reduced weed dry matter by 75%. Soil solarization by black polythene reduced weed biomass by 50% as a result of higher soil temperature (55 0C), which does not affect jute fibre yield, but not cost effective. 1st weeding at 15-20 DAS (7-10 cm plant height) along with thinning to maintain 3-4 cm between plants. 2nd weeding at 35-40 DAS (12-15 cm plant height) along with thinning to maintain 5-7 cm between plants. Application of Butachlor 50% EC @ 1 to 1.5 kg ai/ha during jute sowing or within 48 hrs of jute sowing followed by one hand weeding/wheel hoeing has been found effective

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14. Harvesting Jute can be harvested at any time from 90 DAS to maturity.

Early Harvest: Provides low yield, and immature fibres. Delay Harvest: Delay in harvesting, when the seeds are matured, results in high yield of coarse and poor quality fibres. Require a prolong period of retting. Increasing stripping. Ideal time: Either in flowering or in under capsule stage. Both quality yields are found to be good. Under flooded condition it is harvested relatively early for timely transplanting of rice.

The plants are cut close to the soil surface with sickle. If the stems are to be water retted, it is almost universal practice to leave the plants in the field for two to four days. In the field, stems are left in untied bundles with the basal portion of one bundle overlapping the top portion of another bundle. This also facilitates heating and causes defoliation of leaves readily. After this the stems are tied into bundles of 15- 20 cm diameter. During the time of bundling, plants are shaken so that most of the leaves shed on the ground. It is indispensable because leaves contain 35-65% of NPK and Ca removed from the soil. Thus, helps to maintain the nutritional status. During the defoliation period (2-4 days in the field) the tissues of the stem shrink and cells rupture. This facilitates the entry of microorganisms into the stem when steeped in water and at the same time assists to increase the rate and uniformity of retting.

15. Steeping After 2-4 days of harvesting, the bundles are steeped in water. To produce uniform and top quality fibre, the basal part (thicker, lignified and suberized tissues) of the bundles should be kept in water for 3-4 days before the entire bundle is submerged. If the entire length of buddled is submerged, upper and middle portions are retted while the basal portion is under-retted. Thus, the fibre bundles come out with portions of cortex and periderm during extraction (=cutting), that lowers fibre quality. After keeping the basal part of the stems in water for 3 to 4 days the bundles should be left flat side by side in water and tied to form a sort of platform (= Jak) which is then submerged in water. To keep the bundles under water farmers often use clods of earth, or banana plants or logs of mango wood. This should be avoided because the earth by itself imparts dirty color to the fibre and tannin of banana and mango coming in contact with iron of retting water discolors the finished fibre.

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Therefore, in general, the Jak is covered with aquatic weeds and then submerged into water with the help of cement concrete slab or stones. The Jak can also be submerged into water using bamboo frame. For this wooden pillar with 3-4 holes are buried at a distance 1.5m in two rows. The bamboos are fixed in the wooden pillar by passing them through holes so that 2-3 tiers of bamboos are formed. The stems are placed between the bamboos and left for retting.

16. Retting Retting is a process by which the fibres in the bark get loosened and separated from the wooded stalk due to removal of pectin, gums and other mucilaginous substances. This is due to combined action of water and various aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms. Two types of bacteria and fungus are observed which decompose both pectin and hemicellulose. Asparagillus niger- Fungus. Baccillus subtilis- aerobic bacterium Baccillus polymyxa-facultative bacterium

The microorganisms first invade the top then the middle and finally the basal region of the stem. The microorganisms break down the organic material through the action of enzymes which they secrete. Disintegration of tissues starts from the cambium and extends to the ray cells, phloem and cortex. Thus, retting is considered to be completed when all the soft tissues are dissolved and the fibres bundles get separated. The retting process is completed in 8 to 30 days. The time is mainly depending on maturity of the plants and temperature. Retting is best done at 32 to 34oC. In such condition the process may take 8 to 10 days (at the end of July) If the fibre slips out easily from the wood on pressure from the thumb and finger, retting is considered to be completed. When the plants are approaching the right stage for extraction (around 10-15 days after submerging), the Jak under water should be examined at least once a day and fibre must be extracted at the right stage. Over retting i.e. delay in extraction results in "dazed" weak fibre.

17. Ribbon Retting The main principle of this method of retting is to separate barks from the stems before steeping in water. The separated barks are then tied into bundles and submerged into water for retting. In order to accelerate the retting process 1 kg of

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urea is added for each 4 quintals of green barks. Checking about the completeness of retting should be started after 7-8 days of submerging bundles of barks in to water.

18. Extraction Fibre is extracted from the stalks of retted jute by hand. The extraction of the fibre should be carried out gently by keeping the stalks in water. Beating stalks of fibre with wood sticks or against the stone is avoided as it spoils the fibre quality. Usually, 8-10 retted stems are held in hand and about 15-20 cm of their bottom portion is broken. After that fibres are carefully separated from the broken stalks. Further to separate fibres from the sticks, the separated fibres are held in hand and the remaining portion of stems are jerked forwards and backwards in water. The extracted fibres are dried in the mild sun over a bamboo frame for two or three days. 19. Quality Parameters • Length of Fibre: If the length of the entire fibre is more, more is the quality • Strength of Fibre: Fibre should offer less resistance while using for packing material and other low- grade yarn. • Colour of the Fibre: Bright Colour is superior • Luster of the Fibre: Bright fibre of smooth surface will have superior luster • Stiffness and Hardness: Properly retted fibre will be soft and fine • Fitness of Fibre: Coarse fibre always fetches low price than fine fibre • Percentage of Cuttings of Stem or Percentage of Cutting of Fibre: Less the number of cuttings, More the Superiority of fibre • Proportion of faulty materials: Roots, Specks, Knots, Runners should be avoided for good Quality.

20. Defects of Jute Fiber • Cutting: It is due to the incomplete retting of lower portion of the stems. In Nepal, on the basis of cutting percentage, jute fibres are divided into three categories i.e. high,

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medium and low. High (15% capsularis, 10% olitorious), medium (20% capsularis, 15% olitorious) and low (30% capsularis, 20% olitorious) • Dazed fibre: Such fibres are inferior in strength and poor in spinning. It is caused by over retting of stems or delay extraction of fibres. It is also caused by the storage of fibres in the damp stage. • Stiff fibre: It occurs due to incomplete retting of stems. In such case dark strip of periderm are found to be sticking to almost entire length of the fibre making it very hard and coarse. Stiff: not easily bent or changed in shape.

Some other similar topics: 1. Sunflower Production 2. Cotton Cultivation 3. Tobacco Cultivation 4. Sugarcane Cultivation 5. Sesame Cultivation *** This document is not sanctioned for publication and commercial use. ***

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