Researchers make break through in Kenaf paper

Friend-of-David writes: "A little-known alternative to trees for the production of paper is kenaf, a leafy, fast-growing annual related to the cotton plant. Professor Roni Aloni and graduate student Jonathon Dayan of Tel Aviv University have recently made a break through in Kenaf paper. They have succeeded at silencing a gene in the kenaf plant, which causes the kenaf to produce 50% more fibers per crop — and those fibers are longer and of higher quality than before. Brazilian and Italian companies have suggested using the kenaf's core fiber to produce ethanol and outer layers to produce paper and fabric. Kenaf has also gained the support of United States Department of Agriculture."