View source for Sisal

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Sisal<br/>''Agave sisalana''
|image = Plantsisal.jpg
|genus = Agave
|species = sisalana
|authority = [[Henry Perrine|Perrine]]
|synonyms =
* ''Agave amaniensis'' <small>Trel. & Nowell</small>
* ''Agave rigida'' var. ''sisalana'' <small>(Perrine) Engelm.</small>
* ''Agave segurae'' <small>D.Guillot & P.Van der Meer</small>
* ''Agave sisalana'' var. ''armata'' <small>Trel.</small>
* ''Agave sisalana'' f. ''armata'' (<small>Trel.) Trel.</small>
|synonyms_ref = <ref>[http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-294215 The Plant List, ''Agave sisalana'']</ref>
}}

'''Sisal''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|aɪ|s|əl}},<ref>An [[traditional English pronunciation of Latin|Anglo-Latin]] pronunciation. ''[[OED]]:'' "Sisal".</ref> {{IPA|es|siˈsal|lang}}; '''''Agave sisalana''''') is a species of [[flowering plant]] native to southern Mexico, but widely cultivated and naturalized in many other countries. It yields a stiff [[fibre]] used in making rope and various other products. The sisal fiber is traditionally used for [[rope]] and [[twine]], and has many other uses, including cloth, footwear, hats, [[bag]]s, carpets, [[geotextile]]s, and [[dartboard]]s. It is also used as fiber reinforcements for composite [[fiberglass]], [[Natural rubber|rubber]], and [[concrete]] products. Like other agaves, the pith of the leaves can be fermented and distilled to make [[mezcal]].

Sisal has an uncertain native origin, but is thought to have originated in the Mexican state of [[Chiapas]]. Sisal plants have a lifespan of 7–10 years, producing 200–250 usable leaves containing fibers used in various applications. Sisal is a tropical and subtropical plant, thriving in temperatures above {{convert|25|C|F}} and sunshine.

Historically, sisal was used by the [[Aztecs]] and [[Maya peoples|Maya]] for a crude fabric. It spread to other parts of the world in the 19th century, with Brazil becoming the major producer. Sisal is propagated using [[bulbil]]s or [[Basal shoot|suckers]] and can be improved genetically through tissue culture. Fibers are extracted through decortication and then dried, brushed, and baled for export.

Sisal farming initially led to environmental degradation, but it is now considered less damaging than other farming types. It is an invasive species in Hawaii and Florida.

Global sisal production in 2020 was 210,000 tons, with Brazil being the largest producer, followed by Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar, China, and Mexico.

==Taxonomy==
The [[native plant|native]] origin of ''Agave sisalana'' is uncertain. Traditionally, it was deemed to be a native of the [[Yucatán Peninsula]], but no records exist of botanical collections from there. They were originally shipped from the Spanish colonial port of [[Sisal, Yucatán|Sisal]] in [[Yucatán (state)|Yucatán]] (thus the name). The Yucatán [[plantation]]s now cultivate [[Agave fourcroydes|henequen (''Agave fourcroydes'')]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

[[Howard Scott Gentry|H. S. Gentry]] hypothesized a [[Chiapas]] origin, on the strength of traditional local usage. Evidence of an indigenous [[cottage industry]] there suggests it as the original habitat location, possibly as a cross of ''[[Agave angustifolia]]'' and ''[[Agave kewensis]]''.<ref>{{cite book |author=H.S. Gentry |author-link=Howard Scott Gentry |title=Agaves of Continental North America |publisher=University of Arizona Press |year=1982 |pages=628–631 }}</ref> The species is now naturalized in other parts of Mexico, as well as in Spain, the [[Canary Islands]], Cape Verde, Madagascar, [[Réunion]], Seychelles, many parts of Africa, China, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, the Solomon Islands, [[Queensland]], Fiji, Hawaii, Florida, Central America, Ecuador, and the [[West Indies]].<ref>[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=294215 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, ''Agave sisalana'']</ref>

===Plant description===
Sisal plants consist of a [[Rosette (botany)|rosette]] of sword-shaped leaves about {{cvt|1.5|to|2|m|ftin}} tall. Young leaves may have a few minute teeth along their margins, but lose them as they mature.<ref>Perrine, Henry.  Tropical Plants - 25th Congres, 2d session [Rep. no. 564] Ho. of Reps. Dr. Henry Perrine 8, 9, 16, 47, 60, 86. 1838.</ref>

The sisal plant has a 7- to 10-year lifespan and typically produces 200–250 commercially usable leaves.  Each leaf contains around 1000 fibers.  The fibers account for only about 4% of the plant by weight. Sisal is considered a plant of the tropics and subtropics, since production benefits from temperatures above {{convert|25|C}} and sunshine.<ref name=wigglesworth/>
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Agave sisalana W IMG 2378.jpg|Inflorescence in [[Goa]], India
File:Agave sisalana W2 IMG 2377.jpg|Flowers in Goa
</gallery>

==Cultivation==
Sisal was used by the [[Aztecs]] and the [[Maya peoples|Maya]] to make a fabric.<ref>{{cite web |last=Seigler |first=David |year=2005 |title=Fibers from Plants |url=http://www.life.illinois.edu/ib/363/FIBERS.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804031742/http://www.life.illinois.edu/ib/363/FIBERS.html |archive-date=4 August 2013 }}</ref>

In the 19th century, sisal cultivation spread to Florida, the Caribbean islands, and Brazil ([[Paraíba|Paraiba]] and [[Bahia]]), as well as to countries in Africa, notably Tanzania and Kenya, and Asia. Sisal reportedly "came to Africa from Florida, through the mechanism of a remarkable German botanist, by the name of Hindorf."<ref name="Gunther">{{cite book |last=Gunther |first=John |title=Inside Africa |publisher=Harper & Brothers |year=1974 |orig-year=1955 |pages=408 |isbn=0836981979 }}</ref>

In Cuba its cultivation was introduced in 1880 by [[Fernando Heydrich]] in [[Matanzas]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LeL5KJ8_4fUC&q=habana+heydrich&pg=PA291 |title=Economía y colonia: la economía cubana y la relación con España (1765–1902) |last=García |first=Antonio Santamaría |orig-year=1900 |year=2011 |publisher=Editorial CSIC Press |isbn=978-8400090081 |language=es }}</ref>

The first commercial plantings in Brazil were made in the late 1930s, and the first sisal fiber exports from there were made in 1948. Brazilian production did not accelerate until the 1960s, and the first of many spinning mills was established.<ref>{{Cite book |last=OECD |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/OECD_Trade_Policy_Studies_Environmental/518AEUDw8GgC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=sisal+mills+in+brazil+exports+q960s&pg=PA21&printsec=frontcover |title=OECD Trade Policy Studies Environmental and Energy Products The Benefits of Liberalising Trade: The Benefits of Liberalising Trade |date=2006-06-08 |publisher=OECD Publishing |isbn=978-92-64-02482-3 |pages=21 |language=en}}</ref> Today, Brazil is the major world producer of sisal.<ref name="FAOSTAT"/>

===Propagation===
Propagation of sisal is generally by using [[bulbils]] produced from buds in the flower stalk or by [[suckers (botany)|suckers]] growing around the base of the plant, which are grown in nursery fields until large enough to be transplanted to their final positions. These methods offer no potential for genetic improvement. ''[[In vitro]]'' multiplication of selected genetic material using [[Meristem|meristematic tissue culture]] offers considerable potential for the development of improved genetic material.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unido.org/index.php?id=o8447 |title=UNIDO |access-date=9 November 2013 }}</ref>

===Fiber extraction===
Fiber is extracted by a process known as [[Decorticator|decortication]], where leaves are crushed, beaten, and brushed away by a rotating wheel set with blunt knives, so that only fibers remain. Alternatively, in East Africa, where production is typically on large estates,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Yuko Ikeda |first=Shinzo Kohjiya |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1-eiAgAAQBAJ&dq=Sisal+fibre+is+extracted+by+a+process+known+as+decortication,+where+leaves+are+crushed,+beaten,+and+brushed+away+by+a+rotating+wheel+set+with+blunt+knives,&pg=PA262 |title=Chemistry, Manufacture and Applications of Natural Rubber |publisher=Elsevier Science |year=2014 |isbn=9780857096913 |pages=262 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Witucki |first=Lawrence A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NXpTmBPOgfAC&dq=Sisal+in+East+Africa,+where+production+is+typically+on+large+estates.&pg=PA3 |title=Agricultural Development in Kenya Since 1967 |publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service |year=1976 |location=University of Minnesota |pages=3 }}</ref> the leaves are transported to a central decortication plant, where water is used to wash away the waste parts of the leaves.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gutierrez |first1=Jerry |title=What is Sisal? |url=http://www.naturalarearugs.com/blogs/what-is-sisal-material.php |website=www.naturalarearugs.com |access-date=29 May 2016 |date=26 May 2015 |archive-date=7 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807043654/http://www.naturalarearugs.com/blogs/what-is-sisal-material.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The fiber is then dried, brushed, and baled for export. Proper drying is important, as fiber quality depends largely on moisture content. Artificial drying has been found to result in generally better grades of fiber than sun drying, but is not always feasible in the less industrialized countries where sisal is produced. In the drier climate of northeast Brazil, sisal is mainly grown by [[smallholder]]s and the fiber is extracted by teams using portable ''raspadors'', which do not use water.<ref name=IENICA/>

Fiber is subsequently cleaned by brushing. Dry fibers are machine combed and sorted into various grades, largely on the basis of the previous in-field separation of leaves into size groups.<ref name=IENICA/>

<gallery mode="packed">
Image:Pacas de sisal.jpg|Baled Brazilian sisal fiber 
File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM De droger is het laatste onderdeel in het proces van vezelbewerking op vezelonderneming Lho Soekon in Atjeh Noord-Sumatra TMnr 10011421.jpg|Sisal fiber drying machine in Java
File:Mt Uluguru and Sisal plantations.jpg|A sisal plantation in [[Morogoro]], Tanzania: The [[Uluguru Mountains]] can be seen in the background.
File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Kleine aanplant van bloeiende sisal agaven in de cultuurtuin te Salatiga Midden-Java TMnr 10011536.jpg|Historical image showing a sisal plantation on Java
File:Photo Some men select the sisal fibers before they are immersed in the washing tubs 1959 - Touring Club Italiano BBU 120.jpg|Manual selection of sisal fibers before washing
File:Photo A cargo of sisal fibres on a ship in the port of Tanga 1959 - Touring Club Italiano BBU 122.jpg|A cargo of sisal fibers on a ship in the port of [[Tanga, Tanzania|Tanga]] in 1959
</gallery>

===Environmental impacts===
Sisal farming initially caused [[environmental degradation]], because sisal plantations replaced native forests, but is still considered less damaging than many types of farming.  No chemical fertilizers are used in sisal production, and although herbicides are occasionally used, even this impact may be eliminated, since most weeding is done by hand.<ref name=advanced/> The effluent from the decortication process causes serious pollution when it is allowed to flow into watercourses.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=mdjQRmdKl-oC&dq=Sisal%2Bdeforestation&pg=PA154 Forest Conservation in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania] Retrieved 21 December 2008</ref>

Sisal is considered to be an invasive species in Hawaii and Florida.<ref>{{cite web |title=sisal: ''Agave sisalana'' (Liliales: Agavaceae): Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States |url=http://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/subject.html?sub=3552 |website=www.invasiveplantatlas.org |publisher=The University of Georgia – Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health and the National Park Service |access-date=29 May 2016 }}</ref>

==Uses==
[[File:LDS Church in Farmington (33578464874).jpg|thumb|Sisal wall covering (the gray below the wooden cornice) in a [[Latter-day Saints]] meetinghouse. Due to its common use in meetinghouses, it has become a [[meme]] in [[Culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Mormon culture]].]]
[[File:Sisal mat.jpg|thumb|Weaving a door mat in Uganda]]
Traditionally, sisal has been the leading material for agricultural twine (binder twine and [[baler twine]]) because of its strength, durability, ability to stretch, affinity for certain dyestuffs, and resistance to deterioration in saltwater.<ref name=world>{{cite web |url=http://www.sisal.ws/ |title=World of Sisal |access-date=12 July 2010 }}</ref> The importance of this traditional use is diminishing with competition from polypropylene and the development of other haymaking techniques, while new higher-valued sisal products have been developed.<ref name=wigglesworth>{{cite web |url=http://www.wigglesworthfibres.com/products/sisal/sisalplant.html |title=The Sisal plant |access-date=12 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204050007/http://www.wigglesworthfibres.com/products/sisal/sisalplant.html |archive-date=4 February 2010 }}</ref>

Apart from ropes, twines, and general cordage, sisal is used in low-cost and specialty paper, dartboards, buffing cloth, filters, [[geotextiles]], mattresses, carpets, handicrafts, wire rope cores, and [[macramé]].<ref name=wigglesworth/> Sisal has been used as an environmentally friendly strengthening agent to replace asbestos and fiberglass in composite materials in various uses, including the automobile industry.<ref name=wigglesworth/> The lower-grade fiber is processed by the paper industry because of its high content of cellulose and hemicelluloses. The medium-grade fiber is used in the cordage industry for making ropes and baler and binder twine. Ropes and twines are widely employed for marine, agricultural, and general industrial use. The higher-grade fiber after treatment is converted into yarns and used by the carpet industry.<ref name=world/>

Other products developed from sisal fiber include spa products, cat-scratching posts, lumbar support belts, rugs, slippers, cloths, and disc buffers. Sisal wall covering meets the abrasion and tearing resistance standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials and of the National Fire Protection Association.<ref name=advanced>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060923182456/http://www.advancedbuildings.org/main_t_finishes_sisal_wall.htm Sisal Floor and Wall Coverings] - URL retrieved 25 June 2006</ref>

Sisal walls were used very frequently in the construction of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Mormon]] meetinghouses built between 1985 and 2010. Because of its frequent use, it has become a meme in [[Mormon culture]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Aleah |date=1 April 2019 |title=Church to Replace All "Scratchy" Meetinghouse Wall Coverings |url=https://www.ldsdaily.com/entertainment/church-to-replace-all-scratchy-meetinghouse-wall-coverings/ |access-date=7 November 2023 |website=LDS Daily |language=en-US }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=ashmae |date=27 May 2016 |title=#TexturesofMormonism |url=https://bycommonconsent.com/2016/05/26/texturesofmormonism/ |access-date=7 November 2023 |website=By Common Consent, a Mormon Blog |language=en }}</ref>

As extraction of fiber uses only a small percentage of the plant, some attempts to improve economic viability have focused on using the waste material for production of [[biogas]], for stockfeed, or the extraction of pharmaceutical materials.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Sisal is a valuable forage for honeybees because of its long flowering period. It is particularly attractive to them during pollen shortage. The honey produced, however, is dark and has a strong and unpleasant flavor.<ref>Fichtl & Adi 1994, Hepburn & Radloff 1998</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=October 2021}}

Because sisal is an agave, it can be fermented and distilled to make [[mezcal]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/dining/22mezcal.html |title=Hoping Mezcal Can Turn the Worm |author=Dan Saltzstein |date=21 April 2009 |work=The New York Times }}</ref> In India, it may be an ingredient in some [[street food|street snack]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/indian-street-snack-root |title=The Mysterious Street Snack That Has Baffled Botanists for Decades |author=Barkha Kumari |date=5 August 2021 |work=Atlas Obscura }}</ref>

===Carpets===
Despite the yarn durability for which sisal is known, slight matting of sisal carpeting may occur in high-traffic areas.<ref name=wigglesworth/> Sisal carpet does not build up static nor does it trap dust, so vacuuming is the only maintenance required. High-spill areas should be treated with a fiber sealer and for spot removal, a dry-cleaning powder is recommended. Depending on climatic conditions, sisal absorbs air humidity or releases it, causing expansion or contraction. Sisal is not recommended for areas that receive wet spills or rain or snow.<ref name=wigglesworth/> Sisal is used by itself in carpets or in blends with wool and acrylic for a softer hand.<ref>{{cite book |author=Kadolph, Sara J and Ann L Langford |year=2002 |title=Textiles |edition=Ninth |location=New Jersey |publisher=Pearson Education, Inc |isbn=0-13-025443-6 }}</ref>

== Global production and trade patterns ==

{| style="float:right;"  class="wikitable"
|+ Major sisal <br>producers—2020<br>(thousands of tonnes)<ref name="FAOSTAT">{{cite web |title=Food and Agricultural commodities production / Countries by commodity |url=http://faostat3.fao.org/browse/rankings/countries_by_commodity/E |website=fao.org |publisher=FAOSTAT |access-date=17 May 2022 |archive-date=28 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160728060615/http://faostat3.fao.org/browse/rankings/countries_by_commodity/E |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| {{Flagu|Brazil}} || style="text-align:right;"| 86.1
|-
| {{Flagu|Tanzania}} || style="text-align:right;"| 36.4
|-
| {{Flagu|Kenya}} || style="text-align:right;"| 22.8
|-
| {{Flagu|Madagascar}} || style="text-align:right;"| 17.6
|-
| {{Flagu|China}} || style="text-align:right;"| 14.0
|-
| {{Flagu|Mexico}} || style="text-align:right;"| 13.1
|-
| {{Flagu|Haiti}} || style="text-align:right;"| 12.0
|-
|'''World total''' || style="text-align:right;"| ''' 209.9 '''
|}

Global production of sisal fiber in 2020 amounted to 210 thousand metric tons, of which Brazil, the largest producing country, produced 86,061 tons.<ref name="FAOSTAT" />

[[Sisal production in Tanzania|Tanzania]] produced about 36,379 tons, Kenya produced 22,768 tons, Madagascar 17,578 tons, and 14,006 tons were produced in China.  Mexico contributed 13,107 tons with smaller amounts coming from Haiti, Morocco, Venezuela, and South Africa. Sisal occupies sixth place among fiber plants, representing 2% of the world's production of plant fiber (plant fiber provide 65% of the world's fiber).<ref name=IENICA>IENICA [http://www.ienica.net/crops/sisal.htm "Sisal"] - URL retrieved 16 February 2011</ref>

==Heraldry==
The sisal plant appears in the coat of arms of [[Barquisimeto]], Venezuela.<ref>{{cite web |title=Alcaldia de Barquisimeto |url=http://www.alcaldiadebarquisimeto.gov.ve/iribarren/Escudo.html |access-date=13 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210012006/http://www.alcaldiadebarquisimeto.gov.ve/iribarren/Escudo.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=10 December 2007 }}</ref>

An unofficial [[:File:Coat of arms of Yucatan.svg|coat of arms]] for the Mexican state of [[Yucatán]] features a deer bounding over a sisal plant.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yucatan (Mexico) |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/mx-yu.html |access-date=12 May 2021 |website=www.crwflags.com }}</ref>

== In literature ==
Journalist [[John Gunther]] wrote of sisal in 1953, "if it had not been for the fact that sisal is a difficult crop, there might not have been a [[Munich Agreement|Munich]] in 1939. [[Neville Chamberlain]] started out life as a sisal planter in the Bahamas, and only returned to Britain and entered politics when he found that this obdurate vegetable was too hard to grow."<ref name="Gunther" />

== See also ==
* [[:Category:Fiber plants|Fiber plants]]
* [[Fiber rope]]
* [[Henequen]]
* [[International Year of Natural Fibres]]
* [[Sisal production in Tanzania]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*  G. W. Lock, ''Sisal'' – Longmans Green & Co., 1969.

== External links==
{{Commons category|Sisal}}
{{Commons category|Agave sisalana}}
* {{Wikispecies-inline|Agave sisalana}}
* {{wiktionary-inline}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Sisal Hemp |volume= 25 | page= 158 |short=x}}
* {{Cite NIE |wstitle=Hemp, Sisal |year=1905 |short=x}}

{{fibers}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q159221}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sisal| ]]
[[Category:Agave]]
[[Category:Fiber plants]]
[[Category:Endemic flora of Mexico]]
[[Category:Crops originating from Mexico]]
[[Category:Non-food crops]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1838]]
[[Category:Flora naturalised in Australia]]
[[Category:Introduced plants of South America]]