The Jute
Commonly known as jute, Corchorus capsularis is a tropical plant from which the fiber is extracted. Together with cotton, they are the two most commonly natural fiber worldwide used. Jute is also the name of the textile fibers extracted from another similar plant, Corchorus olitorius.
Several species can be exploited to produce it, but the mainly used are the Corchorus capsularis and Corchorus olitorius. Jute is a herbaceous plant, it attains a height of approximately 3-4 m and has a thickness of about 2 cm diameter. The leaves are petiolate, triangular blade of about 15 cm long and 5 cm wide, they are small and yellow. Jute fiber is extracted from the phloem vessels of the plant, which is located under the main stem.
The seeds
Seeds are usually sown between March and June. First of all, the land must be plowed and fertilized. Seeding is done directly with spaces of 15 cm between seeds. The seeds will germinate within 2 or 3 days, but it is after 3 or 4 months when the plant flowers, and a month after flowering and before the fruits ripen, it is when the stem is cut at soil level.
Conditions for its cultivation
For jute cultivation, a series of conditions must be met:
- It requires a warm and humid climate.
- The soil must be alluvial or clayey-sandy.
- Abundant water during its growth phase, which is why it needs areas where the average precipitation ranges from 75 to 100 mm.
Manufacturing process
Once cut, the plants are tied into bundles and then dried to remove the leaves and branches. The following process is to soak the bundles. During this process, the woody parts are separated from the jute fibers at a temperature of about 30 degrees. It usually takes about 3 weeks, this process must be successful, otherwise, the fiber will be sticky, difficult to spin and with low brightness. Jute fibers are between 1 and 4 m long and yellowish-white color, yellow or brown. After drying the fibers, they are folded in half and compressed into bales to be ready for sale.
