4.1. Fibre length
Fibre length had a lesser negative association with yield than did strength (Table 1). That result is consistent with length being more affected by climate and management than is strength (Constable and Bange, 2007).
Fibre length can be strongly affected directly by water status - irrigation (Hearn, 1994 and Palomo-Gil et al., 2004) and by nutrient deficiency to a lesser extent (Hearn, 1981).