BAMBOOS OF INDI A

Bambusa
The chemical composition of the seed shows crude protein 13.68 per cent, true protein 12.77 per cent, starch 72.91 per
cent, ash 1.74 per cent, calcium 86.88 mg/100g, phosphorus 162.9 mg/100g, moisture 7.98 per cent. It has been reported
that the bamboo seed protein is predominantly glutein in nature with isoelectric point 4.6. Prolamin constitutes only a
minor fraction of the seed protein. The protein efficiency ratio (P.E.R.) of the seed protein had been reported by Rao et
al., 1955; Rao et al., 1969. The starch content and protein are comparable to those of the rice variety, IR8 (Mitra and
Nayak, 1972).
Water extract from leaves showed allelopathic effect on the growth of groundnut and maize. The extract contains
chlorogenic, ferulic, coumaric, protocatechuic, vanillic and caffeic acids (Eyini et al., 1989).
SILVICULTURE AND MANAGEMENT
Natural regeneration: Profuse natural regeneration occurs from seeds after gregarious flowering. Seeds have no dormancy
and this helps to utilise the favourable condition soon after seed fall. Protection from fire and grazing is essential for
proper establishment of the seedlings.
Artificial regeneration: Seeds are collected by sweeping the ground under flowered clumps and cleaned by winnowing.
Cleaning process can be minimised by spreading cloth or sheets under the flowered clumps and collecting the falling
seeds directly. Seeds can be sown directly in nursery beds during March-May in patches and covered lightly with soil.
About 90 to 100 per cent germination occurs when fresh seeds are sown. Partial shade is necessary for initial establishment
of seedlings. The seedling can be polypotted after 45 days. There is considerable increase in biomass when large size
containers are used (Chacko and Jayaraman, 1990). Fertilizer application also increased biomass of seedlings (Thomas,
1990). According to the direction of unfolding of seedling leaves, right handedness and left handedness are observed.
Left handed seedlings had faster rate of growth and higher chlorophyll content (Bahadur et al., 1978). Another type of
variation identified in seedlings is grassy, grassy erect, erect and very erect. The last two types are more vigorous
(Kondas, 1982).
Large scale production of planting stock is reported by macro-proliferation (Adarsh Kumar, 1992). Offset planting can
be done during the onset of monsoon. But this method is expensive since extraction of rhizome is difficult. Propagation
using culm cuttings showed that two-nodded culm cuttings treated with growth regulating substances (100 ppm of
NAA or IBA) by cavity method and planted horizontally during summer months gave 80 per cent of rooting. Rooting
of cuttings depended on age of the culm, position of cutting, growth regulator treatment, method and season of planting
(Surendran and Seethalakshmi, 1985; Saharia and Sen, 1990). About 50 per cent rooting is obtained when branch
cuttings are treated with growth regulating substances and planted in the mist propagation units (Seethalakshmi, 1991;
Philip and Chacko, 1992). About 20 per cent of the nodal bud chips rooted when treated with growth regulating
substances (Surendran and Seethalakshmi, 1985).
Tissue culture: Tissue culture was attempted from embryo, seeds, callus, seedlings, nodes, shoots and leaves as explants.
Multiple shoot induction and rooting were reported (Zamora, 1994).
Growth: Observations on clumps growing in Karnataka showed that there is no set pattern for appearance of young
culms. The percentage of new culms formed from one-year-old clumps was 77; from two-year-old clump, 20; and from
older clumps, 3 (Lakshmana, 1990). The rate of growth of young culms varied with locality and moisture availability.
Maximum growth recorded is 90 cm/day. The height growth is caused by successive elongation of the internodes. There
is no terminal bud in the culm. Several internodes from the base upwards grow simultaneously. The internodes become
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