Impact Of Complementary Irrigation Of Hemp Stems On Field Retting Dynamics
Abstract
This work compares two hemp field retting conditions (irrigated and non-irrigated) for up to 6 weeks. For both retting conditions, hemp stems and fibres were subjected to different evaluations: Color, microstructure, enzymatic activities, and biochemical measurements. This work reveals that during the first weeks of retting, major chemical changes in the composition of the fibres (decrease in pectin and hemicellulose content, increase in cellulose content, and its crystallinity) are observed. These changes can be linked to dedicated enzyme expression. Moreover, microscopic observations exhibit a progressive decohesion of the fibre bundles during retting. No effect of moisture on fibre evolution has been detected during retting.