Utilization and potential cultivation of the saltmarsh rush Juncus kraussii

Culms of the saltmarsh rush Juncus kraussii Hochst. are a favoured material for the weaving of traditional articles by black women in Natal/KwaZulu, South Africa. Restricted coastal distribution and poor harvesting practices have resulted in the overexploitation of this valuable resource with resultant shortages of raw material for craftworkers. The potential for J. kraussii cultivation under freshwater conditions was investigated as a possible solution to raw material shortages and to ensure the conservation of remaining wild populations. It was shown that although J. kraussii has a natural distribution in saltmarshes, it exhibited maximum above-ground productivity under fully flooded, freshwater conditions. Cultivation in paddy fields is, therefore, recommended. Stingels van die soutmoerasbiesie Juncus kraussii Hochst. is een van die voorkeurmateriale vir die weef van tradisionele artikels deur swart vroue in Natal/KwaZulu, Suid-Afrika. Beperkte kusverspreiding en swak oespraktyke het gelei tot die oorbenutting van hierdie waardevolle hulpbron, met gevolglike tekorte aan grondstof vir handwerkers. Die potensiaal vir die verbouing van J. kraussii onder varswatertoestande is ondersoek as ’n moontlike oplossing vir grondstoftekorte en om die bewaring van oorblywende natuurlike bevolkings te verseker. Daar is aangetoon dat, hoewel J. kraussii ’n natuurlike verspreiding in soutmoerasse het, het dit onder ten volle oorstroomde varswatertoestande maksimum bogrondse produktiwiteit gehad. Verbouing in rysland-tipe landerye word derhalwe aanbeveel.