Sisal (/ˈsaɪsəl/,[2]Spanish:[siˈsal];Agave sisalana) is a species offlowering plant native to southern Mexico, but widely cultivated and naturalized in many other countries. It yields a stifffibre used in making rope and various other products. The sisal fiber is traditionally used forrope andtwine, and has many other uses, including cloth, footwear, hats,bags, carpets,geotextiles, anddartboards. It is also used as fiber reinforcements for compositefiberglass,rubber, andconcrete products. Like other agaves, the pith of the leaves can be fermented and distilled to makemezcal.
Sisal has an uncertain native origin, but is thought to have originated in the Mexican state ofChiapas. Sisal plants have a lifespan of 7–10 years, producing 200–250 usable leaves containing fibers used in various applications. Sisal is a tropical and subtropical plant, thriving in temperatures above 25 °C (77 °F) and sunshine.
Historically, sisal was used by theAztecs andMaya for a crude fabric. It spread to other parts of the world in the 19th century, with Brazil becoming the major producer. Sisal is propagated usingbulbils orsuckers and can be improved genetically through tissue culture. Fibers are extracted through decortication and then dried, brushed, and baled for export.
Sisal farming initially led to environmental degradation, but it is now considered less damaging than other farming types. It is an invasive species in Hawaii and Florida.
Global sisal production in 2020 was 210,000 tons, with Brazil being the largest producer, followed by Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar, China, and Mexico.
H. S. Gentry hypothesized aChiapas origin, on the strength of traditional local usage. Evidence of an indigenouscottage industry there suggests it as the original habitat location, possibly as a cross ofAgave angustifolia andAgave kewensis.[3] The species is now naturalized in other parts of Mexico, as well as in Spain, theCanary Islands, Cape Verde, Madagascar,Réunion, Seychelles, many parts of Africa, China, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, the Solomon Islands,Queensland, Fiji, Hawaii, Florida, Central America, Ecuador, and theWest Indies.[4]
Sisal plants consist of arosette of sword-shaped leaves about 1.5 to 2 m (4 ft 11 in to 6 ft 7 in) tall. Young leaves may have a few minute teeth along their margins, but lose them as they mature.[5]
The sisal plant has a 7- to 10-year lifespan and typically produces 200–250 commercially usable leaves. Each leaf contains around 1000 fibers. The fibers account for only about 4% of the plant by weight. Sisal is considered a plant of the tropics and subtropics, since production benefits from temperatures above 25 °C (77 °F) and sunshine.[6]
Sisal was used by theAztecs and theMaya to make a fabric.[7]
In the 19th century, sisal cultivation spread to Florida, the Caribbean islands, and Brazil (Paraiba andBahia), as well as to countries in Africa, notably Tanzania and Kenya, and Asia. Sisal reportedly "came to Africa from Florida, through the mechanism of a remarkable German botanist, by the name of Hindorf."[8]
The first commercial plantings in Brazil were made in the late 1930s, and the first sisal fiber exports from there were made in 1948. Brazilian production did not accelerate until the 1960s, and the first of many spinning mills was established.[10] Today, Brazil is the major world producer of sisal.[11]
Propagation of sisal is generally by usingbulbils produced from buds in the flower stalk or bysuckers growing around the base of the plant, which are grown in nursery fields until large enough to be transplanted to their final positions. These methods offer no potential for genetic improvement.In vitro multiplication of selected genetic material usingmeristematic tissue culture offers considerable potential for the development of improved genetic material.[12]
Fiber is extracted by a process known asdecortication, where leaves are crushed, beaten, and brushed away by a rotating wheel set with blunt knives, so that only fibers remain. Alternatively, in East Africa, where production is typically on large estates,[13][14] the leaves are transported to a central decortication plant, where water is used to wash away the waste parts of the leaves.[15]
The fiber is then dried, brushed, and baled for export. Proper drying is important, as fiber quality depends largely on moisture content. Artificial drying has been found to result in generally better grades of fiber than sun drying, but is not always feasible in the less industrialized countries where sisal is produced. In the drier climate of northeast Brazil, sisal is mainly grown bysmallholders and the fiber is extracted by teams using portableraspadors, which do not use water.[16]
Fiber is subsequently cleaned by brushing. Dry fibers are machine combed and sorted into various grades, largely on the basis of the previous in-field separation of leaves into size groups.[16]
Sisal farming initially causedenvironmental degradation, because sisal plantations replaced native forests, but is still considered less damaging than many types of farming. No chemical fertilizers are used in sisal production, and although herbicides are occasionally used, even this impact may be eliminated, since most weeding is done by hand.[17] The effluent from the decortication process causes serious pollution when it is allowed to flow into watercourses.[18]
Sisal is considered to be an invasive species in Hawaii and Florida.[19]
Sisal wall covering (the gray below the wooden cornice) in aLatter-day Saints meetinghouse. Due to its common use in meetinghouses, it has become ameme inMormon culture.Weaving a door mat in Uganda
Traditionally, sisal has been the leading material for agricultural twine (binder twine andbaler twine) because of its strength, durability, ability to stretch, affinity for certain dyestuffs, and resistance to deterioration in saltwater.[20] The importance of this traditional use is diminishing with competition from polypropylene and the development of other haymaking techniques, while new higher-valued sisal products have been developed.[6]
Apart from ropes, twines, and general cordage, sisal is used in low-cost and specialty paper, dartboards, buffing cloth, filters,geotextiles, mattresses, carpets, handicrafts, wire rope cores, andmacramé.[6] Sisal has been used as an environmentally friendly strengthening agent to replace asbestos and fiberglass in composite materials in various uses, including the automobile industry.[6] The lower-grade fiber is processed by the paper industry because of its high content of cellulose and hemicelluloses. The medium-grade fiber is used in the cordage industry for making ropes and baler and binder twine. Ropes and twines are widely employed for marine, agricultural, and general industrial use. The higher-grade fiber after treatment is converted into yarns and used by the carpet industry.[20]
Other products developed from sisal fiber include spa products, cat-scratching posts, lumbar support belts, rugs, slippers, cloths, and disc buffers. Sisal wall covering meets the abrasion and tearing resistance standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials and of the National Fire Protection Association.[17]
Sisal walls were used very frequently in the construction ofMormon meetinghouses built between 1985 and 2010. Because of its frequent use, it has become a meme inMormon culture.[21][22]
As extraction of fiber uses only a small percentage of the plant, some attempts to improve economic viability have focused on using the waste material for production ofbiogas, for stockfeed, or the extraction of pharmaceutical materials.[citation needed]
Sisal is a valuable forage for honeybees because of its long flowering period. It is particularly attractive to them during pollen shortage. The honey produced, however, is dark and has a strong and unpleasant flavor.[23][full citation needed]
Because sisal is an agave, it can be fermented and distilled to makemezcal.[24] In India, it may be an ingredient in somestreet snacks.[25]
Despite the yarn durability for which sisal is known, slight matting of sisal carpeting may occur in high-traffic areas.[6] Sisal carpet does not build up static nor does it trap dust, so vacuuming is the only maintenance required. High-spill areas should be treated with a fiber sealer and for spot removal, a dry-cleaning powder is recommended. Depending on climatic conditions, sisal absorbs air humidity or releases it, causing expansion or contraction. Sisal is not recommended for areas that receive wet spills or rain or snow.[6] Sisal is used by itself in carpets or in blends with wool and acrylic for a softer hand.[26]
Major sisal producers—2020 (thousands of tonnes)[11]
Brazil
86.1
Tanzania
36.4
Kenya
22.8
Madagascar
17.6
China
14.0
Mexico
13.1
Haiti
12.0
World total
209.9
Global production of sisal fiber in 2020 amounted to 210 thousand metric tons, of which Brazil, the largest producing country, produced 86,061 tons.[11]
Tanzania produced about 36,379 tons, Kenya produced 22,768 tons, Madagascar 17,578 tons, and 14,006 tons were produced in China. Mexico contributed 13,107 tons with smaller amounts coming from Haiti, Morocco, Venezuela, and South Africa. Sisal occupies sixth place among fiber plants, representing 2% of the world's production of plant fiber (plant fiber provide 65% of the world's fiber).[16]
JournalistJohn Gunther wrote of sisal in 1953, "if it had not been for the fact that sisal is a difficult crop, there might not have been aMunich in 1939.Neville Chamberlain started out life as a sisal planter in the Bahamas, and only returned to Britain and entered politics when he found that this obdurate vegetable was too hard to grow."[8]
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