Cotton (Gossypium spp.) produces abundant stem fibers with characteristics comparable to established bast fiber crops kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) and jute (Corchorus olitorius) for natural fiber composites

Cotton ( Gossypium spp ), kenaf ( Hibiscus cannabinus ), and jute ( Corchorus olitorius ) are major Malvaceae fiber crops with distinct industrial uses. While kenaf and jute are cultivated primarily for stem-derived bast fibers, cotton cultivation is driven by the value of its seed fiber, making it the most widely grown fiber crop worldwide. In addition to seed fiber for textiles, cotton provides value-added co-products including cotton linters, seed oil, and protein meal. In addition, like other Malvaceae plants, cotton produces abundant bast fibers in the bast layer of its stems, but unlike other fiber crops, cotton stalks are commonly left in the field after harvesting the cotton bolls. In this study, to evaluate the industrial potential of cotton stalks as a source of bast fibers, cotton, kenaf, and jute bast fibers were compared side-by-side for formation, structure, chemical composition, and manufacturing potential for natural fiber composites. All three crops exhibited similar rates of bast fiber formation during secondary growth, with comparable fiber bundle and fiber cell morphology. After retting, the processed bast fibers from each crop consisted of nearly 70% cellulose and contained 8.0% or less lignin. Non-woven low-density fiber mats produced from each source showed no significant differences in tensile strength (range 1.2–1.4 MPa), elastic modulus (range 135–147 MPa), or strain at maximum stress (range 0.013–0.016). Globally, cotton is cultivated on 30–34 million hectares annually. These side-by-side comparisons with established Malvaceae fiber crops argue that cotton bast fiber could be a vast yet untapped value-added resource to benefit growers and industry.