Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is an industrial fiber crop with significant heterosis and tolerance to abiotic stresses. However, the mechanism underlying heterosis in kenaf under drought conditions is completely unknown. In this study, F1 hybrids were remarkably tolerant to drought stress. Through methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) analysis, we highlighted that total DNA methylation level under drought decreased by 11.2% in F1 and increased by 29.7% and 13.1% in parents CP079 and CP071, respectively. Unlike parents,...