Inter-relations and Multiple Regressions among Plant Traits and Environmental Parameters in a Three-year Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) Field Trial

摘要

Kenaf is a fast-growing annual herbaceous C3 plant gaining interest in the latest years as a multipurpose crop providing material for the bio-based fibre industry and energy uses, with high productivity and low agronomic requirements. In the USA recent research has demonstrated several potential uses for each of the two stem components (bark and core), generally separated from each other (Taylor, 1992; Fuller, 1994). Although kenaf has been widely investigated, no much data are reported for relatively high latitudes of Mediterranean Europe. In the framework of the "BIOKENAF" project supported by EU, under the rising interest for kenaf in recent years, agronomic field trials have been established in a rainfed location of Northern Italy which may represent an upper boundary for kenaf diffusion (45 deg N). In parallel to the assessment of the growing patterns, the whole dataset from three years of agronomic field experiments was used to evaluate the degree of inter-relation among plant aspects and theability of some traits and environmental factors to predict kenaf growth. Significant relations may give the opportunity to estimate growth through the measure of non-destructive parameters of easier assessment, thus avoiding the burden of destructive samplings and associated operations, or even the use of allometric measurements as a tool of potential support for yield forecasts in commercial fields, along with few environmental factors.