Abstract

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) is one of the oldest natural fiber plants with the best fiber quality in terms of strength and lustre of processed fiber. Ramie can be an essential component in the natural fiber-based textile market due to its excellent properties. Synthetic fibers are non-biodegradable finite resources, and hence, there is a need to replace synthetic fibers with natural fibers. The processing of Ramie fiber for fine yarn production is improving with every passing day. However, the challenge lies in ensuring a consistent supply of raw Ramie fiber for commercial purposes while minimizing environmental damage. The climate of the northeastern states of India is favourable for Ramie cultivation, but the lack of community awareness and scientific cultivation manuals are the major constraint towards commercial-scale Ramie cultivation. Ramie is a rapidly growing plant that requires adequate fertilizer application for growth from the 2^nd year onwards up to the 16^th year after plantation. The leaching of inorganic fertilizer (IF) used in the cultivation of Ramie has adverse environmental impacts. In this study, sustainable Ramie cultivation with a combination of IF and bacterial biofertilizer (BF) at a 1:1 combination gave a significant increase in biomass and fiber yield when compared to IF or BF alone, hence it is suitable for adoption in real-time application. The mode of action is ensuring the availability of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) through application of IF while preventing their leaching into the environment by restricting them in the plant root zone, indirectly facilitating their uptake. The briquette formed using decorticated waste [produced at the rate of 3.92 kilograms (kg) per kg of fresh decorticated fiber] released sustained energy on burning, produced higher yield of essential oil from lemongrass leaf compared to firewood or a 100% bamboo briquette. Hence, this paper reports environmental protection through process optimization from cultivation to end-product valorization through eco-friendly product development.