BJKB

Fibre Quality Improvement Division

Introduction

The Fibre Quality Improvement Division of Bangladesh Jute Research Institute conducts research on retting and quality improvement of fibre of jute and allied fibre crops. Since it’s establishment (1951), the Division has been called the Division of Microbiology and Biochemistry. During the restructuring of BJRI in 2001, the Fibre Quality Improvement Division was formed with a total of three departments, including two separate department called Microbiology and Biochemistry and another new department called Post Harvest processing department. The two departments Microbiology and Biochemistry were later attached to the Industrial (Technological) Research Wing by a decision of BJRI, Board of Management. Currently the activities of the Fiber Quality Improvement Division are being conducted through the Post Harvest Processing Department.

Overall Goal of the Division:

1. Improving the quality of fibre of jute and allied fibre crops.

2. Innovation of time demanding and sustainable technology to increase the quality of fibre.

Total manpower of the Division

Objectives of Post Harvest Processing Department:

1.       To develop retting technique for increasing fibre quality of post harvested jute and allied fibre crops.

2.       To identify the retting friendly microbes, organisms, enzymes, materials for the varieties of jute and allied fibre crops.

3.       To develop sustainable technique for rapid bark separation and retting through mechanical/chemical and biological management.

4.       To take initiatives for assistance in conducting training, workshop, seminar, printed materials (publications, leaflet, booklet, bulletin, monograph etc.) to transfer/ extension the developed technologies.

Manpower of Post Harvest Processing Department:

Significant Achievements of Fibre Quality Improvement Division

1. Forty (40) bacterial isolates have been isolated from jute retting water and other natural sources. Out of 40 isolates, 11 pectinolytic bacterial isolates involved in jute retting have been screened out.

2. After the retting of jute, there is a hard skinned part at the basal portion of the fibre which is called cuttings. Due to these cuttings the yield of jute fiber is slightly less. This is because these cuttings have to be cut off while exporting jute abroad. Therefore, research has shown that some fungi belonging to the genus Aspergillus can improve or soften the cuttings part of the fibre. This is known as the "softening technique of cuttings by fungus" on the hard part of the jute fibre basal portion. On the other hand, jute fibre has been categorized into different raw and mature grades to increase the market or financial value of jute fibre according to the standard.

3. Most of the jute farmers in our country are submerged the jute bundles into water by banana logs, muddy soil or large lumps of soil. The color of the fiber becomes blackish/ shamla after retting in the same pond several times. As a result, the market price of fibre is much lower. So, after more research, Scientists developed a tamarind mixing water technique named "whitening or brightening of blakish fibres technique" in 1961, which is known as the method of using tamarind to remove the blakish/shamla color of jute fibre. In this case, dissolve 1 (one) kg of tamarind in 40 litter of water and immerse the blackish fibre in the tamarind mixing water for 4-5 minutes, then the color of the fibre becomes white or bright. The fibres are then washed again in clean water and dried in the sun. In other words, in 40 litter of water, it is possible to remove blakish color 1-1.5 maund of fibre at once.

4. In Bangladesh, eighty decade, due to the conventional method of retting of jute in closed water ponds or ponds around the houses in the villages caused bad smell in the water, the fish in the water would die, and above all the normal living environment was disturbed during the jute retting season. As a result, scientists developed "jute ribboning and retting with bamboo hook method" in 1983 and later "semi-mechanized double roller jute ribboner" in 2001 to make jute ribboning more easily. It is an emergency technology of jute retting, especially suitable for water-scarce areas. In this method, a) jute is retted in less time and water than conventional method, and b) fibre quality is improved by at least 01 grade.

5. Farmers in Bangladesh often harvest jute without considering the age of the jute plants and collect jute fibre by retting the jute in unsuitable water and submerging the jak in water by soil and banana logs. As a result, jute farmers failed to produce high quality jute fibre at the right time. Since the quality and value of jute fibre is largely dependent on the retting. That's why scientists developed the "modern method of jute retting" in 2007 through research. The modern method of retting is to determine the exact time of harvesting (usually the age of the jute plant is between 110-120 days), harvesting, sorting and tying the jute bundles, shedding the leaves and dipping the basal portion of plants, selecting water for the jak, making the jak and submerging the jak using the straw, water hyacinth and other aquatic plants, determination of retting time, removal of fibre and washing of fibre, drying of fibre and storage or marketing of fibres are to be followed. Therefore, in the overall interest of the farmers and the country, the farmers should follow the modern method of retting of jute in the areas where jute retting water is readily available. Thus by producing high quality jute fibre, the farmers are increasing the income and reputation of the country.

6. In all the methods of jute retting, earth chunks, banana logs and water hyacinth are used to immerse the jute in water. There is no need to spend any money for soil, banana and water hyacinth. But scientists have come up with another method of retting of jute by spending some money to produce comparatively better quality jute fibre through research. This method uses jute hessain as a covering material instead of soil, banana logs and water hyacinth to immerse the jute jak in water, using concrete slabs or soil filled polythene bags on top. This is known as the "low cost method of retting jute". Scientists developed this method of retting jute in 2010 after research. This method of jute retting is applicable to all jute producing areas of the country.

7. After about 90 decades due to unfavorable weather or drought or excessive drought, farmers faced many problems in retting of jute due to lack of sufficient open water during the jute production season. They ret the jute plants in the same water body 3-4 times in an unfavorable environment. As a result, farmers continue to suffer financially due to low quality jute fibre production. The Ministry of Agriculture and BJRI are deeply aware of the issue to expand the jute ribbon retting system at the farmer level across the country and motivate all concerned to continue the profitable cultivation of jute and allied fibre crops in an environmentally friendly manner and approved a two years long program in fiscal year 2010-11. In the last three years (2011, 2012 and 2013) under this program, 16125 farmers, 5999 agricultural extension officers/ field workers / NGO concerned field workers and 610 Upazila agriculture officers/ NGO concerned field officers has been imparted on ribbon retting technologies. Through this program, the department has distributed about 4200 double roller jute ribboners free of cost to the farmers from the year 2011 to 2014.

8. The "Power Jute Ribboner" was developed in 2014 to make ribboning and retting of raw jute easier and faster. This is an emergency technology for jute retting. This technology is applicable only for those areas where there is a problem of sufficient jute retting water. The technology is especially useful for the greater Rangpur and Jessore regions of the country. Jute retting requires 14 workers per bigha of land from jute harvesting to fibre drying with the help of power jute ribboner, which means it takes at least 3-4 workers per bigha less than a hand-operated double roller ribboner. With power jute ribboner, 4 workers can ribbon one bigha of land in 8 hours per day. The "auto jute ribboner" was developed in 2015 to make jute ribboning easier than power jute ribboner. Both the technologies provide high quality jute fibre free from cuttings, which is economically advantageous to the farmer as the price of jute fibre is high. The retting process is done in less water with less time, eco-friendly and pollution free.

9. In 2019, scientists developed the technology of whitening or converting blakish jute fibres by TSP through research. Sometimes, due to lack of sufficient retting water, the farmers use same retting water for several times. So farmers are being able to use this technology to whiten the blakish jute fibre into white or golden fibre. For these purposes, mixing of 250 g of TSP fertilizer as a chemical re-agent in 40 liters of clean water and soak 40 kg of darkish wet jute for 4-5 minutes in that mixture and sundry the clean fibre.

10. Jute scientists developed the Jute Harvesting machine or BJRI Jute Harvester in 2019 for harvesting and retting easily as part of farm mechanization. However, further modernization of the device will be required. The machine requires only five (5) workers per hour for harvesting of jute, tying of bundles and staking of jute plants from one (1) acre of land. The efficiency of the machine is 20 percent/ hour/ labor. It is possible to reduce the production cost by 4 to 5 thousand taka per acre by jute harvester. Jute can be harvested in a short time and at low labor cost by the machine, so the farmers can be economically profitable.

Photographs of Different Activities: