Although bananas are an agricultural crop, the trunk of the banana plant is used in pulp and paper manufacture as well as the production of pressed boards. Although fiber extraction is not currently conducted on a large scale, several producers spin yarns from banana fibers on jute spinning machinery for use in ropes and sacks. Researchers investigating the structure and performance of banana fibers evaluated the tensile and structural properties of nendran, safed, velchi, basrai, and padalse, the most commonly cultivated banana varieties in the western and southern regions of India. Results indicated that differences exist in yield, structure, and tensile strength between fibers of different varieties, between fibers of the same variety grown in different geographical regions, and between fibers originating from different parts of the trunk. In general, the tenacity of banana fibers can be predicted on the basis of the cellulose content and microfibrillar angle. 16 refs.