These tests were taken in two parts: In the first test, 11 plants per crop type in each region (11 plants x 2 crop types x 2 regions) were evaluated to determine the leaf’s morphological characteristics, the amount of leaves, and their weight in relation to the total weight of the plant (expressed in percentage). In the second test, fiber production was carried out ten times with intervals of 15 min, with the purpose of finding the costs and the level of production of the prototype machine.

7.2.3 Morphological Parameters of the Leaf and Bleaching

All plants (11 in each site) were randomly selected in the plantation. The plants were manually extracted and the roots were eliminated. Posteriorly, the leaves of the base of the plants (small stalk) were separated and each part was weighed. Each leaf was measured lengthwise and then all leaves were put together to determine their weight. Following that, fiber was extracted using the prototype machine and three fiber bleaching treatments (Table 7.1) were applied. Next, the fiber was dried using the drying system developed by Moya and Solano (2012).