Bamboo FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - BAMBOO

Q.Mention some trees used in paper industry?

A.Eucalyptus, Gmelina arborea, Ailanthus excelsa, Bamboo, Subabul


Q.Which tree is called as “poor mans tree”?

Bamboo tree

Q. Name one world organization involved in bamboo popularity?

International Bamboo and Rattan Network (INBAR)        

Q.What is the other name of bamboo?

Green Gold

Q.What are all the uses of bamboo?

Paper industries, furniture making, civil works, food, medicine, fodder etc

Q.What is the area under bamboo in India?

A.12.8% of total forest area (i.e., 8.96 mha)

Q.When was thornless bamboo introduced?

A.1995

Q.How many clumps are harvested for every year?

A.10-15 clumps

Q.When the bamboo clumps harvest starts?

After 3 years of planting

Q.What is the income of bamboo tree after fourth year?

A.Rs.20,000 – Rs. 30,000/acre/year

Q.Who sponsor for National Bamboo Mission?

Central government

Q. What is the objective of National Bamboo Mission?

Bamboo area extension
Bamboo marketing facilities
Increasing bamboo production and productivity
Increasing employment opportunities in rural and urban area

Q.What is the structure of bamboo mission?

National level organization
National executive team
National bamboo cell

Q.What is the main objective of NBM?

Increasing bamboo land area (1.76 lakh ha) within 5 years

Q.How much forest are deforested every year for wood purpose?

A.1.5 million hectares

Q.What is the life span of bamboo tree?

A.30 years

Q.What are all the bamboo cultivated area in Tamilnadu?

A.Trichy, Thanjavur, Ariyalur, Thiruvarur, Thirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Coimbatore, Nilgiri, Dharmapuri

Q.What are all the cultivated species of bamboo?

Dry land (D.Strictus) Hard moonkil
Irrigated land (Bambusa bamboosa) hallow moonkil

Q. How the bamboo is propagated?

A.Seedling
Suckers
Clumps

Q.What is the spacing for bamboo cultivation?

A.5X5m to 6X6m

Q.What is the water requirement during summer season?

A.25-30 litters

Q.What is the yield of bamboo?

A.D. strictus – 2400 clumps/ha
B. bamboo – 1662 clmps/ha

Q.What is the most cultivated type of bamboo in Tamilnadu used for food purpose?

A.B.bamboos, B. balgura

Q.Mention the nutrient status of B. balguva?

A.
S.No Nutrient %
1 Water 91.65
2 Minerals 0.99
3 Phosphorus 30.99
4 Calcium 24.01
5 Iron 1.02
6 Protein 2.74
7 Carbohydrate 3.90

Q.What are the chemical used in bamboo seed treatment?

A.Gibberallic acid – 100 ppm
Azospirillum – 50gm/kg
T. viride – 4gm/kg
Pseudomonas – 10gm/ha

Q.How many seeds in one kg of bamboo seeds?

A.13000 – 15000 seeds

Q.What is the germination % of bamboo seeds?

A.60 -80 %

Q.Which soil is mostly suitable for bamboo cultivation?

Sandy soil (pH 5.5 – 6.5)

Q.Name the varieties used for sandy soil, red soil and laterite soil?

A.D. strictus, B. bamboos

Q.What are the major pests in bamboo nursery?

A.Termite, white worm and grass hoppers

Q.What are the major pests in main fields?

A.Leaf folder, aphids, weevils, borers

Q.What are the major pests in bamboo seeds?

A.Seed Bug

Q.What are the control measures for nursery pests?

A.Thimet 200 gm/ 10 sq.m

Q.What is the control measure for leaf folder?

A.Chloropyriphos 2 ml

Q.What is control measure for weevil and bores?

A.0.1% lindane or 3% boric acid (cut and dip the harvested bamboos)

Q.Mention the diseases of bamboo cultivation?

A.Leaf blight, clup root, sucker rot, root rot, sheath blight, rust, little leaf, viral diseases

Q. Mention integrated disease management for bamboo?

A.Select good and quality suckers / seedlings for planting
Good drainage facilities
Dispose disease affected sheath
0.25% of copper oxy chloride or carbendazim 0.1% (for rot disease)
Mancozeb 0.25% (for blight disease)
Sulphur 0.2% (for rust)
Removal of affected clumps ( for viral disease)

Q.What is the medicinal component present in bamboo bodes?

A.Dabacir / Banstocen

Q.What are all the varieties used for bamboo basket making?

A.D. gemildonii, d. hokasei, d. Gigantius, p. Polymorbam and B. Palida

Q.Which agro industries purchase bamboo?

A.TNPL

Q. One or several of the culms on my bamboo have broken. What do I do?

A. It depends. If you have an established planting, cut the culm off at ground level,      making a horizontal cut with a saw or pruners. Take care not to leave an angled stump as   this could cause a fall and injury to someone walking through the grove.

If you have only one or a few culms and want to save them, you can splint the culm(s). Just use a piece of bamboo culm, stick, dowel, etc. on two sides of the break and tape in a splint-like fashion. The top will likely continue to produce new branches and leaves.

Q. Do deer bother bamboo? What about other animals?

A. Yes and no. Some people have reported problems with deer. We frequently have deer visit our groves, but we have never seen any damage; they generally eat the grass around the groves. It would be wise, however, to provide protection on any newly-planted bamboo to prevent deer or other animals from walking on it, rubbing against it, knocking it over, etc.

Rabbits are reported to create some damage. We've had rabbits living in several of our groves and have seen no evidence of damage.

Squirrels are a definite problem once they discover how tasty bamboo shoots are. Bamboo is not a normal food for squirrels and they have to acquire a taste, but once one squirrel in your neighborhood finds out about bamboo shoots, he/she'll tell all the others. We had bamboo and squirrels for 25 years before the squirrels discovered their fondness for tender new shoots.

Goats, cows, horses and ponies LOVE bamboo...shoots as well as foliage. Definitely fence these animals or fence your bamboo.

Q. Can I grow bamboo where I live?

A. The answer is "yes" for most locations. Some bamboos perform better in warmer climates and some do better in colder climates. Be sure to choose a variety that has a temperature rating compatible with your climate. Many bamboos can also be grown indoors or grown outside in colder climates and moved to a protected or inside space for the coldest season.

To help choose a variety suitable for your area, go to our home page and click on "Our Bamboos" and then sort by temperature to get a listing of those bamboos that would be good for your climate.

Q. I bought "Lucky Bamboo." How do I care for it?

A. "Lucky Bamboo" is not a bamboo but a dracaena. An Internet search for "lucky bamboo" will bring many links that give information on care.

Q. Can I mix different varieties of bamboo together?

A. Yes. Many varieties do quite well together. In mixing varieties, be sure to use those that are of similar size and aggressiveness to prevent one from overtaking the other. Groundcover bamboos can also be used under taller bamboos and the timber varieties.


Q. I didn't know there was more than one kind of bamboo. How many kinds are there?

A. There are over 1400 known, identifed varieties of bamboo worldwide. Over 450 are grown in the United States. Here at MidAtlantic Bamboo we grow over 80 varieties and will be adding more in the future. Click on "Our Bamboo" for a list of what we have available.

Q. I have a swampy area I want to plant with bamboo. What can I use?

A. Not bamboo. Bamboo likes lots of water, but not standing water; it needs to be well drained.

Q. When is the best time to plant bamboo?

A. Basically, you can plant bamboo any time you can work the soil. We have done most of our planting from November through March; however, we have planted in every month of the year with success.

Q. The leaves on my bamboo are turning yellow and dropping. What is wrong?

A. It is normal for some of the leaves on bamboo to turn yellow and drop. This occurs throughout the year, but it is particularly noticeable in the spring. The dropped leaves will be replaced with new leaves. Other causes of yellowing leaves are stress, drought, excess water and lack of nutrients.

Q. One or several of the culms on my bamboo have broken. What do I do?

A. It depends. If you have an established planting, cut the culm off at ground level, making a horizontal cut with a saw or pruners. Take care not to leave an angled stump as this could cause a fall and injury to someone walking through the grove.

If you have only one or a few culms and want to save them, you can splint the culm(s). Just use a piece of bamboo culm, stick, dowel, etc. on two sides of the break and tape in a splint-like fashion. The top will likely continue to produce new branches and leaves.

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