Kenaf Varietal Evaluation in the High Desert of Southeastern Arizona

Abstract

Several Kenaf varieties have been grown at the Safford Agricultural Center over a period of 5 years. Plants harvested green have produced yields in excess of 40 tons per acre. Air dried stems that would be useful for commercial products have yielded as high as 9.5 tons per acre and two varieties, Tainung 2 and Everglades 71, have averaged nearly 7 tons per acre. In addition to yields and other agronomic values of the varieties tested, an economical discussion is made on the feasibility of Kenaf production on southeastern Arizona.