Agro-based fibers are classified according to what part of the plant they come from. Five different fiber classifications will be used in this report: (1) bast or stem fibers, which are the fibrous bundles in the inner bark of the plant stem running the length of the stem; (2) leaf fibers, which run the length of leaves; (3) seed-hair fibers; (4) core, pith or stick fibers, which form the low d...

For the synthesis of biocomposite materials for useful applications, it becomes necessary to modify the surface of natural fibers through chemical treatments. Morphology, structure and properties of natural fibers have an obvious effect on the mechanical properties of the biocomposite materials. It is thus necessary to know the morphology, thermal stability and crystalline behavior of original ...

Cannabis was probably the first crop grown for reasons other than food and is found in the ancient writings of Galen and Hippocrates, who both prescribed cannabis. 2] Chinese writings from the first 2 centuries AD refer to Emperor Shen Nuang in the third millennium BC using cannabis medicinally, the first medical use of cannabis. In India in the fourth and third centuries BC, Ayurvedic mixtures...

Plant parasitic nematodes, Meloidogyne javanica in particular, cause significant yield losses in sugarcane crops in South Africa. The chemicals at present available for nematode control are expensive and potentially detrimental to the environment. It has been reported that various types of crops reduce the numbers of plant parasitic nematodes. Seven green manure crops (sunn hemp, marigold, oats...

and a barrister, writes with a sense of urgency which is appalled by the complacency and ignorance of the medical profession. He begins with a brief survey of Indian hemp through history, and discusses the rapid increase of its American relative marihuana since 1935 : his view is that there is an even more recent, but disturbingly quick, spread now going on in this country; while annual prosecu...

Cannabis (hemp and marijuana) is an iconic yet controversial crop. On the one hand, it represents a growing market for pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors. On the other hand, plants synthesizing the psychoactive THC produce the most widespread illicit drug in the world. Yet, the difficulty to reliably distinguish between Cannabis varieties based on morphological or biochemical criteria impe...

Combinations of winter and fall cover crops were evalu­ ated for the management of plant-parasitic nematodes. The winter cover crops examined were rye (Secale cereale) and narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) and the fall cover crops were soybean (Glycine max), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), sorghum-sudangrass (Sor­ ghum bicolor x S. sudanense), sun hemp (Crotalaria juncea), and corn (Zea m...

Hemp fibre mat reinforced polyester composites were fabricated using a conventional sheet moulding compound (SMC) process. The influence of fibre and CaCO3 filler content on strength and stiffness of the HF-SMCs is reported and compared with data for chopped glass fibre reinforced sheet moulding compounds (GF-SMCs). In addition the influence of alkaline and silane treatments of the hemp fibres ...

New bio-materials have recently gained interest for use in insulation panels in walls, but wider adoption by the building industry is hindered by their intrinsic properties. The fact that such materials are mainly composed of cellulose makes them combustible, and their hydrophilic surface presents a high water uptake, which would lead to faster biodegradation. A hydrophobic treatment with silic...