Botany Photo of the Day

Connor is responsible this series:

Musa textilis is the third of three plants from the GFU for Underutilized Species series. Many thanks to Hannes Dempewolf and Paul Bordoni. Photo courtesy of Botanische Bilddatenbank.

Abacá is a species of banana (Musaceae) with inedible fruits, native to the Philippines. It is also grown widely in Borneo and Sumatra. Sometimes it is referred to as "BacBac". The plant is harvested for its fibre, called Manila hemp. The fibre is extracted from the sheaths, i.e., the bottom part of the leaves forming the pseudo-stem. Other common names for Manila hemp include "Cebu hemp" and "Davao hemp".

The fibre made from Abacá is very durable and flexible. It is relatively cheap to produce and completely biodegradable. It can be made into many hard-wearing products and has a beautiful texture when made into hats and other products.

Until the advent of the first synthetic fibres, Manila hemp was the premiere material for marine ropes where its strength, lightness and water-resistance were appreciated. Today, although marine and other ropes are still important, it is mainly used in the paper-making industry. Because of its relatively long staple length, strength, and cellulose content, it is used to manufacture a range of specialized papers, including tea and coffee bags, sausage-casing paper, electrolytic papers, currency notes, cigarette filter papers, medical / disposal papers and some high-quality writing paper. There is also a thriving Abacá fibre handicraft industry operating in the Philippines, exporting worldwide.

At the start of the rainy season, well-developed suckers are transplanted in well-drained loamy soils. New leaves emerge in succession from the centre of the pseudo-stem. At first, they are rolled up, then gradually unfurl. The petiole of each new leaf is slightly staggered in relation to the previous one resulting in an upward spiral. The pseudo-stem can reach a height of more than 3 meters and the whole plant can become 6 meters tall.

At the beginning of the flowering stage, the plant is cut at the base of the pseudo-stem. Growers harvest Abacá fields every three to eight months after an initial growth period of 18-25 months for a total lifespan of up to 25 years (the rhizome continuously produces new suckers). The sheaths contain the valuable fibre, composed primarily of cellulose, lignin and pectin. The fibre is extracted from the leaf sheath by hand-stripping or via a machine. The strips are then scraped to remove the pulp, sometimes washed, and then sun-dried. The fibres can then be spun into twines or cordage.

Out of the world's total estimated annual production of 82,000 tons, the Philippines produce 67,000 tons, by far the largest producer. Over the past 40 years, production has been developed in Ecuador (today producing some 14,000 tons). Production in the Philippines is based on a "smallholder" system of agriculture, with most farms being between 3 and 5 hectares in size. Abacá grows on marginal lands and requires no external inputs, thus making it a suitable crop for resource-poor small scale farmers. The Ecuadorian system is more reminiscent of the African sisal industry and is essentially a large estate-based industry (although there is also a substantial smallholder co-operative movement). The traditional Abacá industry contributes to improving the livelihood of rural people and gender empowerment through providing employment opportunities for farmers, strippers, traders and processors.

Some Producers / Retailers / Distributors:

• Sosan Industries Inc.
• Philippines Nature Products
• Wigglesworth Fibres