Assessing enset fibre yield and quality for a wide range of enset [Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman] landraces in Ethiopia

Introduction - Numerous natural fibres are widely used at industrial scales. Fibres extracted as a by-product of food or feed crops reduce the need for additional land. Enset fibre is a by-product obtained during pseudostem/leaf sheath processing. Enset fibre is currently used for making ropes (e.g., for mud house construction or tethering domestic animals), ground and table mats, coffee bags and as a reinforcement in gypsum room decorations and panels. Materials and methods - The aim of the current study was to assess enset fibre quantity and quality of a wide range of enset landraces and compare fibre tensile strength with that of banana (of which leaf sheaths also contain fibre), of abaca (of which fibre is the main product) and over 20 other types of natural fibres, to identify possible additional enset fibre uses/value chains. Quantity of fibre in enset is dependent on landrace while fibre tensile strength is mostly similar across enset landraces. Results and discussion - Results from the current study and literature indicated that enset fibre tensile strength (9.8-17.5 kg g(-1) m(-1)) is slightly inferior to or comparable with abaca fibre (15.4 kg g(-1) m(-1)), while it is of higher quality than banana fibre (9.8-10.8 kg g(-1) m(-1)) for most of the assessed enset landraces. Abaca fibre is utilized by the pulp, cordage and fibre craft industries. It is also used in reinforced composite materials. Conclusion - Due to its comparable fibre quality in terms of tensile strength, enset fibre could be used at an industrial scale for pulp and paper processing, and in composite materials. However, processing tests would need to be carried out to confirm its suitability for these additional value chain options. Additional fibre analysis would also need to include cellulose content and fibre thickness of a wide range of enset landraces.