Getting retting better by bacterial blending

ute is an important cash crop in Bangladesh, where it is cultivated and processed for its fibres.Following jute harvest, the plants go through a process called retting whereby the stalks are submerged in water bodies.This allows natural decomposing of the stems via water-based microorganisms, to release fibres.The microorganisms in the water bodies possess enzymatic activities that enable the digestion of tough plant materials.Unfortunately, the scarcity of water in Bangladesh results in harvesting delays,Jute is the second most important fibre crop after cotton.Harvesting of jute is followed by retting, where the fibres are separated from stems.This is performed in open waters where natural microorganisms decompose the plant material.The fibre quality depends on retting efficiency.Given the water scarcity in Bangladesh and the resulting delays in harvest, the quality of fibres deteriorates.To hasten the process, the Basic and Applied Research on Jute (BARJ) Project at Bangladesh Jute Research Institute under the leadership of Professor Maqsudul Alam have recently identified pectinolytic bacteria that enhance jute retting.This improved retting technology will enable the production of large-scale high quality jute fibres.Retting is the process by which unwanted compounds (such as pectins and hemicelluloses) are removed from jute stems.An important cash crop in Bangladesh, jute is cultivated and processed for its fibres.