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Sisal (sisal agave). Legends, myths, symbolism, description, cultivation, methods of application

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Content

1. Photos, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
2. Genus, family, origin, range, chemical composition, economic importance
3. Botanical description, reference data, useful information, illustrations
4. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology
5. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Sisal (sisal agave), Agave sisalana. Photos of the plant, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Sort by: Sisal (Agave sisalana)

Family: Agave (Agavaceae)

Origin: Sisal originates from Mexico and Central America, where it has been cultivated for over 4000 years.

Area: Sisal is cultivated in the tropics and subtropics around the world, especially in Africa, Asia and South America.

Chemical composition: Sisal contains many valuable substances, including cellulose, linoleic acid, amino acids and others. The fibers obtained from sisal leaves contain about 70% cellulose and have high strength.

Economic value: From sisal, fibers are obtained, which are then used to produce various products, such as ropes, ropes, carpets, etc. Brushes and brushes are produced from sisal. The plant is also used to make paper. Sisal is also a food source for animals, as its leaves are high in nutrients.

Legends and myths: The symbolic meaning of sisal is connected, first of all, with its practical application. Due to its unique qualities, this material is used in various fields - from the production of ropes and ropes to the creation of carpets. Thus, sisal symbolizes strength, reliability and functionality.

Sisal (sisal agave), Agave sisalana. Description, illustrations of the plant

Sisal (sisal agave), Agave sisalana. Methods of application, origin of the plant, range, botanical description, cultivation

The fiber of agave plants is coarse, used for the manufacture of carpets, ropes, ropes, twine, packaging (tare) fabrics. It is stronger than hemp fiber.

Agave juice is known in folk medicine as a remedy for snake bites. Peasants plant agave plants with thorny leaves in front of houses, they serve as hedges.

What is known in the trade as sisal is the product of three different plants of the genus Agave. From Agave sisalana they get real sisal - hemp, Agave fourcroydes gives heneken and Agave cantala - a fiber called cantala or mage.

Currently, the major producers of sisal are Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Angola and Mozambique; in Asia, Indonesia produces the largest amount of sisal fiber. In America, sisal is cultivated in Brazil, Haiti, and Venezuela.

Sisal is native to Mexico. The name comes from the port of the same name in Mexico, through which the fiber was first exported.

Sisal is a leafy plant of the tropics and subtropics.

Agave (translated from Greek - stately, prominent) is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants, which has now become widespread in the countries of the tropics as a leaf fibrous crop. Includes over 300 species.

Sisal (Agave sisalana Perrine), family Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllidaceae), has a short, thick pseudostem, reaching 90-150 cm in height and 15-30 cm in diameter in adults. The shortened stem bears a rosette of large fleshy leaves.

The leaves are thick, linear-lanceolate. The surface of the leaves is covered with a wax coating. New leaves are formed at the point of growth of the stem; the first commercial leaves are 60-75 cm long, later the length of the leaves reaches 1 m or more. The width of the leaves is 10-15 cm. Cultivation conditions greatly affect the length of the leaves and, consequently, the length of the fiber. A leaf bundle contains from 2 to 4 individual fibers, depending on the species. A sisal sheet has an average of 1000 individual fibers.

Leaves are formed in the upper part of the shortened stem, where the meristematic cells are located. They form in a spiral around the stem very close to each other.

The root system is fibrous, mainly distributed in the soil layer of 0-60 cm, only a small part of the larger roots reaches a depth of 90-120 cm. The roots spread radially from the plant for 3-4 m or more. From the buds at the base of the stem at a shallow depth, white fleshy rhizomes (rhizomes) are formed.

Sisal blooms once in a lifetime. A tall peduncle up to 4-6 m or more develops from the point of growth. Before the formation of the peduncle, the leaves in the rosette become smaller.

Few seeds are produced. When the flowers fall, the peduncle does not immediately die off, and vegetative bulbs up to several thousand per plant are formed in the inflorescence. These bulbs are the main planting material.

The plant is xerophytic. It can grow in areas with a rainfall of 250 mm and on nutrient-poor soils. Sisal is able to withstand long periods of drought, although leaf growth slows down.

The plant reaches its highest productivity in areas where 1000-1800 mm of precipitation falls per year. The minimum amount of precipitation at which commercial production of sisal is still possible is 760 mm per year, with a sufficiently high relative humidity. Temperatures above 27-32°C and below 16°C are unfavorable for leaf growth. Sisal is best suited for equatorial climates.

In order to obtain high yields of sisal and preserve soil fertility, new, fast-growing highly productive varieties are created, fertilizers are applied, sisal processing waste is applied to the fields, and the farming system is mastered, especially the cultivation of green manure crops.

Sisal is propagated by offspring and bulbs, but not by seeds. Offspring appear on plantations in the 2nd or 3rd year after planting. Offspring for transplantation are most suitable when they reach a height of 15-25 cm.

The bulbs are formed on the branches of the peduncle and develop into small plants 8-10 cm long, and then fall to the ground. The bulbs are usually planted in the nursery for 6-10 months. In the field, plants are placed in rows at a distance of 1,5-2,5 m (with 1-line plantings). Sisal can be cultivated in small areas, on hillsides.

Does not tolerate waterlogging and salinization of the soil. Prefers sandy, light soils with good drainage and some lime content. Sisal does well in a variety of soils, but the best for it are carbonate red soils, coral limestones, young volcanic deposits, well-drained alluvial soils.

Sisal processing waste is a good fertilizer, especially in nurseries, they are recommended to be applied up to 75 t/ha. From mineral fertilizers, ammonium sulfate is applied up to 300 kg/ha, superphosphate - 250-450 and potassium sulfate - up to 150-300 kg/ha.

Soil preparation for laying plantations is done manually or mechanized and includes clearing the site, leveling the surface, plowing, harrowing and cultivation.

Work in Kenya has shown that there are no genetic differences between bulbs and rhizomes. In the cultivation of sisal on large plantations, bulbs are usually used as planting material. Initially, they are grown in a nursery, where they develop up to 45-60 cm (sometimes 20-30 cm).

The planting scheme in the nursery is 60 x 22,5 cm. 1 thousand plants can be grown per 72,6 hectare of the nursery. When planting in a nursery, bulbs are usually planted 15% more than is necessary for industrial planting, since some of them die off during growth.

They also practice a double transplant in the nursery, the bulbs are first planted close to each other, when some die off, the rooted ones are transplanted according to the indicated scheme. This method eliminates uneven growth and development. Transplantation to the plantation is carried out at the age of 12-18 months.

Planting scheme in Kenya with 2-line method (400 x 90 x 82,5 cm) allows to have 4950 plants per 1 ha. In Madagascar, the density of standing is about 6 thousand plants per 1 ha.

Planting is carried out in the rainy period by young plants of the same age and height with a number of leaves of at least 15. Planting is 1-line, with a distance between rows of 2-3 m and between plants - 0,7 m or 2-line, with a distance between lines up to 4 m, between rows and between plants - 0,7-0,9 m. The number of plants reaches 5-6 thousand pieces per 1 ha.

The planting site is linked to the location of the leaf processing factory. The size of the plantation should not be large, and a network of roads is also planned so that workers with leaves do not make a long journey. For example, the plots are 500 x 200 m, and a road is left every 100 m.

When propagating plants with bulbs, the first collection of leaves is delayed by 9-12 months compared to planting offspring. At the beginning of the collection of leaves, only 2 outer rows of leaves are collected annually, i.e. 20-30 leaves, cut them with a sharp knife, closer to the stem. Harvesting should start at the beginning of the dry season. Immature leaves should not be collected, as the fiber in them is of poor quality.

The first harvest is usually started after 2-2,5 years, when 100-125 leaves develop on the plant. During cutting, all lower leaves are removed, leaving 25-30 upper (central) leaves on the plant. The weight of 1 leaf is approximately 1,5 kg, the yield of fresh leaves is up to 30 t/ha. The interval between successive cuts depends on the intensity of growth and, as a rule, under normal conditions is from 10 to 22 months (sometimes 6-9 months).

The fiber can be extracted from the leaves either by loosing or directly using machines. Machine separation of the fiber is preferable, as the lobe produces a weak and poor (black) color of the fiber. The average dry fiber yield is 1 t/ha (for 1 cutting of leaves).

Fiber is isolated from fresh leaves no later than 2 days after cutting. Decortication machines crumple and crush the leaves, as a result of blows and scraping, the fiber is separated, which is then thoroughly washed, dried in the sun and brushed.

Sisal fiber is shiny, yellowish in color. The yield of fiber from fresh leaves is 3,0-3,5%. Productivity 7,5-9 t/ha of fiber (cycle). With the right culture, the plant grows for 8-10 years or more (in Mexico up to 20 years).

Often the fiber is identified by the word sisal, which is placed after the name of the country of origin, for example, East African sisal, Hawaiian sisal, etc.

Authors: Baranov V.D., Ustimenko G.V.

Sisal (sisal agave), Agave sisalana. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology

Ethnoscience:

• For the treatment of skin diseases: Sisal fibers are washed in warm water and dried. They are then ground to a powder and mixed with a small amount of water to form a paste. This paste is applied to the skin to treat various conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, and acne.
• To cleanse the body: Sisal fibers are soaked in water for several hours, then crushed and mixed with honey and lemon juice. This drug is taken to cleanse the intestines and remove toxins from the body.
• For the treatment of wounds: sisal fibers are crushed and mixed with honey. This mixture can be applied to wounds for quick healing.

Cosmetology:

• Skin scrub: mix 2 tablespoons of fine sea salt with 2 tablespoons of crushed sisal. Add enough milk to make a paste. Apply to wet skin and massage in circular motions for 2-3 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.
• Washcloth: cut the sisal into small pieces. Tie a few pieces together with string or elastic. Use a washcloth to cleanse your body while showering.

Attention! Before use, consult with a specialist!

Sisal (sisal agave), Agave sisalana. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Sisal (Agave sisalana) is a plant that is used to produce textile fibres.

Tips for growing, harvesting and storing sisal:

Cultivation:

• Sisal grows best in tropical and subtropical conditions with well-drained soils and a sunny location.
• Plants can be grown from cuttings or seeds.
• Plants should be planted at a depth of about 5-10 cm and at a distance of about 1-2 meters from each other.
• Sisal needs regular watering and fertilization.

Workpiece:

• Sisal is used to make textile fibers, which are obtained from the leaves of the plant.
• To obtain fibers, the leaves should be cut and cleaned of pulp, then dried in the sun or in a special dryer.
• The resulting fibers can be used to produce various types of textiles, such as ropes, ropes, carpets, etc.

Storage:

• Dry sisal fibers should be stored in a cool and dry place to avoid mold and decay.
• Fibers can be stored in sealed containers or packages.

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