Statement A : Retting in slow running water is better than stagnant water.
Statement B : The extraction of the fiber of sunhemp is more difficult than jute.
Show Hint
Clean, slow-running water is the gold standard for high-quality retting. It ensures optimal microbial action without discoloring the valuable bast fibers.
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Retting is a biochemical process where bundles of harvested fiber crops are submerged in water to allow microbes to decompose the pectins and hemicelluloses binding the fibers to the woody core. Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
1. Statement A: Retting in slow-running, clean water is superior to reting in stagnant water.
In stagnant water, organic acids and decomposed products accumulate, turning the water highly acidic and dark, which stains the fiber (producing lower-quality "shamla" fiber).
Slow-running water dilutes these acids and carries away debris, resulting in bright, lustrous, high-grade fiber. Thus, Statement A is correct.
2. Statement B: Extraction of sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea) fiber is more difficult than jute.
In jute, fiber extraction is done by simple stripping or beating.
In sunnhemp, the fibers are bound tighter to the woody core, requiring a tedious process of wet-stripping, washing, and beating while submerged in water, which is physically harder and more time-consuming. Thus, Statement B is correct. Step 4: Final Answer:
The correct option is 1, which corresponds to Both A and B are right.
