Introductory Agroforestry

REGENERATION

Natural regeneration

• Reproduction of bamboos is through rhizomes
• Rhizome is underground portion of the stem, closely similar in structure to the above ground portion of the stem i.e. culms and branches
• The buds on rhizomes, which usually develop are generally one year old
• It is affected by careless fellings, non observance of cutting and grazing rules are the other causes which lead to congestion, reduce the yield as well as deteriorate the quality of bamboos

Artificial regeneration

Rhizome planting

• Separated out rhizomes can be planted in the rainy season
• Traditional method of planting is by offsets at the onset of rainy season in June-July and about 50% survival rate is expected
• Culm is cut at a height of 1-1.5 m just above the joint and rhizome severed at the desired oldest narrow point
• A pit of 60 cm3 and spacing of 6 m × 6 m and 7 m × 7 m is desirable
• The established plants yield culms of exploitable size in 4-5years

Single node cutting

• One node cuttings, each with major length of its basal and minor of distal internode are taken from the under one year old culms and planted in March
• Before planting the cuttings, their branches are trimmed above third to fifth node beyond the condensed basal portion
• The cuttings are planted horizontally with the branch or bud upward, 10-15 cm deep in rows and covered with soil having well decomposed farm yard manure

Mass production

• A new technology for mass production of seedling developed by the FRI
• Sowing seed in July in the germination trays, when the seedlings reach 3-4 leave stage they are planted in polybags containing equal proportion of soil, sand and FYM
• At the age of eight month seedlings are removed from polybags in April
• Proliferated tillers of these seedlings are separated by cutting rhizome to act as propagules
• Each propagules consists of a tiller along with rhizome and roots

Economic importance

• Multiple use
  
• It is used for rafters, house posts, ladders, tent poles, shafts of tongas, scaffoldings etc.
• Young shoots are used as vegetable and pickles
• Important raw material for paper mills