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The genus Agave is treated here in a wide sense to include taxa previously treated as belonging to the genera Manfreda, Prochnyanthes, Polianthes and Pseudobravoa. Not all botanists are happy with this treatment, with some feeling that these genera should remain distinct, at least until further studies have been carried out. In addition, given the high species diversity found in Agave, some feel that an alternative approach could be the recognition of several smaller genera within the current circumscription of Agave[].

Common Name: Sisal

General Information

Agave sisalana is an evergreen, short-stemmed (to 100cm), succulent plant forming a rosette of leaves that can be 150 - 200cm tall and 150 - 250cm in diameter. The leaves on mature plants can each be 60 - 150cm long and 5 - 12cm wide near the base. After several years of growth, a flowering stem that can be around 5 - 6 metres tall is produced, after which the rosette will die. However, the plant usually produces a number of young plants around its base that will develop as new plants[].
Sisal is commonly cultivated for its high quality fibre in many countries of the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate areas[]. The main cultivation areas are in NE Brazil, Mexico, Kenya and Tanzania. It is also cultivated on a smaller scale in many other African countries, as well as in Venezuela and Ecuador, the Antilles, Indonesia (Java, Sumatra), India (Orissa), Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, New Caledonia and Italy. Experimental plantations have been made in Israel, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea and further countries[]. The annual world production was 305.000 t in 1994. Besides its use as fibre crop, the species is cultivated to make living fences as well as to give protection against soil erosion, and is harvested locally for use as a food and medicine.[].

Known Hazards

Many Agave species have strong, sharp spines on the leaves and leaf tips.
In theory at least, the flowers, nectar, immature flowering stem and the centre of the rosette of all Agave species is edible and, with proper preparation, can provide a sweet, tasty foodstuff. Some species, however, contain relatively high levels of saponins (which makes them taste bitter) and some other compounds which can cause bellyache, and so these would only be eaten in times of desperation. In addition, many people may find these foods to be strongly laxative the first few times they eat them[].

Botanical References

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Range

Southern N. America - southern Mexico (Yucatan Peninsula).

Habitat

Planted abundantly in some regions, and, often escaping, seen in many localities in hedges or fence-rows[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	1.50 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated

Cultivation Details

Agave sisalana is a plant of the drier tropics and subtropics, where it is found at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 15 - 27°c, but can tolerate 10 - 45°c[]. Younf plants are not frost tolerant, but mature plants can withstand temperatures down to about -5°c[, ]. The plant prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 900 - 1,250mm, but tolerates 500 - 1,800mm[].
Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7.5, tolerating 5.5 - 8[]. Plants are very drought tolerant.
The plant has escaped from cultivation in many of the areas in which it is cultivated and has become invasive in some areas including several of the Pacific Islands and Australia[].
Harvesting the leaves for fibre can begin 2 - 4 years after planting, depending on temperature, and usually continues for about 10, occasionally up to 20, years before the plant flowers and dies[].
The average yield is about 0.9 tonnes/ha of dried fibres[]. On the best plantations in East Africa, yearly yields of 2.0 - 2.5 tonnes/ha of dried fibres are obtained[].
Most Agave species are monocarpic, individual rosettes living for a number of years without flowering before sending up an often very large flowering stem and then dying after flowering and setting seed. This species, however, produces a number of new rosettes from suckers or offsets during its lifespan and these new plants will continue to grow after the death of the parent plant.
Individual plants take about 7 - 15 years in their native habitat, considerably longer in colder climates, before flowering[].
Plants produce bulbils along the flowering stem[].
The roots rarely go deeper than about 35cm[].
One ton of fibre removes about 30 kg N, 5 kg P, 80 kg K, 65 kg Ca and 40 kg Mg from the field. Because the fibres themselves contain few minerals, the majority of the nutrients can be returned to the land with the pulp[].

Edible Uses

The heart of new shoots - cooked[].

The sap from the flower stalk is fermented to make an alcoholic drink[].
The roots are used in the production of an alcoholic beverage[].

Medicinal

Sisal is a folk remedy for dysentery, leprosy sores, and syphilis. It is a source of hecogenin[].
The leaves contain hecogenin used in the partial synthesis of the drug cortisone[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is cultivated for fences as well as for protection against soil erosion[].
Short fibres from the leaves, obtained as by-products, are used for production of compost[].

Other Uses

A high quality fibre is obtained from the leaves[].The leaves provide one of the most important hard fibres, it is used for making ropes and all kinds of strings, fishing-nets, hammocks, door-curtains, floor-covers, bags etc[]. The fibre cannot be spun as finely as jute and ropes tend to break suddenly[]. Short fibres, obtained as by-products, are used for production of cellulose, paper as well as for upholstery material[].
Fibres are also used to reinforce plaster boards and paper[].

The waste material, after extraction of the fibre, is reported to be molluscicidal and fungistatic and can be used as mulch for plants[].

The sharp leaf spines are traditionally used as needles[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a container in a light position. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15 - 20°c[, ]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots of well-drained soil when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a sunny position until they are at least 10cm tall before planting out.
Offsets and suckers can be potted up at any time they are available.
Bulbils, where produced, are an easy method of propagation. Simply pot them up and plant out at the beginning of a growing season when they are 10cm or more tall.

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