A simulation model of kenaf for assisting fibre industry planning in northern Australia. I. General introduction and phenological model

Abstract

The feasibility of utilizing kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) as a fibre crop and potential source of paper pulp is being investigated. This paper is the first in a series which develops and validates a simulation model of kenaf, and applies it to assessing the potential for dryland production in regions of tropical Australia. The duration from sowing to flowering is an important determinant of fibre yield in kenaf. Accordingly, the effect of temperature and photoperiod on the phenology of kenaf was examined. Data were collated from sowing-date experiments on kenaf cultivars Guatemala 4 and Everglades 71 at six locations in tropical Australia, ranging in latitude from 12¦ 54'S. to 19¦ 32'S. Data from one site, Kununurra, W.A. (15¦ 39'S.), was used to develop a model which described the duration from sowing to flowering in kenaf based on four stages: (1) sowing to emergence; (2) emergence to the end of the basic vegetative phase (BVP); (3) a photoperiod-induced phase (PIP) which ends at floral initiation; and (4) a flower development phase (FDP). Both kenaf cultivars responded as qualitative short-day plants where flowering did not occur above a critical photoperiod of 12.9 h. Assuming a base photoperiod of 12.0 h, the thermal time required to complete the BVP for the two cultivars was similar. However, photoperiod sensitivity during PIP, and the thermal time required for FDP, were greater for Guatemala 4 than for Everglades 71. Validation of the model against independently observed data for both cultivars at other sites resulted in close predictions in the thermal time required for flowering. This phenological model for kenaf can be used to assess the effect of sowing date on phenology at different locations in tropical environments, and is a key component of a crop growth simulation model to assess the environmental constraints to productivity in these regions.