Rejuvenating Old Bamboo Clumps

Cooperating agency for this topic:
Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development
Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines 4030
Fax: (63 49) 536-0016
E-mail: pcarrd@pcarrd.dost.gov.ph, 2004-11-01

The supply of bamboo is becoming scarce. Thus, cost has become prohibitive. Various factors have brought this about: a) increasing demand for bamboo; 2) decreasing yield of bamboo owing to indiscriminate cutting and lack of maintenance; and 3) absence of systematic and deliberate effort to replenish the resource.

The demand for bamboo can be supplied by establishing new plantations and increasing the productivity of existing bamboo clumps. The quicker and cheaper method to increase the productivity of bamboo is to rejuvenate the decimated (Fig. 1) old clumps through cleaning and fertilizer application.

Treatments

Forty-eight clumps were used in the experiment to test two factors: Factor A for cleaning and sanitation cutting and Factor B for fertilizing. The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Forest of the Mariano Marcos State University in Ilocos Norte, Philippines.

The treatments were as follows:

• A1 - no cleaning or sanitation cutting;
• A2 - removal of over-mature culms and branches up to 2 m above the ground;
• B1 - no fertilizer application;
• B2 - 1 kg of 14-14-14 fertilizer/clump;
• B3 - 2 kg of 14-14-14 fertilizer/clump; and
• B4 - 3 kg of 14-14-14 fertilizer/clump.

Effectiveness

Cleaning of bamboo clumps enhanced the growth and development of new shoots and culms. As a result, culms were bigger and longer, and better-quality culms were harvested. Cleaning reduced the cost of harvesting mature culms. Income obtained was higher in cleaned culms.

Complete fertilizer application significantly influenced the number, diameter, and height of shoots; number and diameter of culms; diameter and length of harvested culms; and potential income from harvested culms. Applying 2 kg of 14-14-14 fertilizer per clump was enough to enhance shoot production, produce bigger and longer harvestable culms, and achieve a higher benefit cost ratio (BCR). Complete fertilizer was more effective when bamboo clumps were cleaned before application.

Method

Cleaning

Remove overmature and defective culms and branches from the ground level up to 2 m above the ground

(Fig. 2). For the succeeding years, remove only the defective culms and branches

Fertilizing

Broadcast fertilizer around the clump. Cover the fertilizer and exposed rhizomes with soil after fertilizer application (Fig. 3).

Index of Images

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  Figure 1 Rejuvenated Old Bamboo Clumps

• 

  Figure 2 Cleaning

• 

  Figure 3 Fertilizing

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