10 Elements of Successful Bamboo Production

Learning first the different practices in bamboo plant care is a requisite in bamboo production. This is especially important when planning to establish bamboo plantations in commercial scale.


After being convinced that bamboo farming is a viable business you can now ready to start your farm development. The first step of which is to prepare a Master Plan. Familiarity with the issues on Bamboo Production is essential, though these techniques are the same for all crop production. 

Bamboos are unique plants with various properties and growth habit requiring special care. There are tall and dwarf bamboo, erect and climbing bamboo, running and clumping bamboo.

The paper Bamboo Production and Propagation Methods (pdf) provides guidance in the establishment of plantations for clumping bamboo. We will now discuss the 10 Elements of Successful Bamboo Production.



1. Watering. 
Many species of bamboo, particularly the thorny bamboo or kawayan tinik (Bambusa blumeana) can thrive with scant rainfall. For optimum growth, however, sufficient water should be supplied to the bamboo plants especially at seedling stage, in sandy soils, and during drought or dry season. 

2. Weeding. 
We should constantly suppress the number one hindrance for maximum yeilds: weeds. Weeds are a competition for water, nutrients and light in your Bamboo Plantation. 

3. Mulching. 
Mulching is the operation which consists of the laying or placing of any material, either organic or inorganic, natural or synthetic, on the ground to minimize loss of water from the soil through evaporation, to suppress weed growth, to control erosion, and to regulate soil temperature.


After planting Bamboo, we can collect foliage, leaves or straws of weeds within the farm and deposit these at the bases of the seedlings. The thicker the mulch, the better, but be sure that it is compacted and not loose matter around our planting. When decomposed, these will become organic fertilizers. 

4. Cover Cropping. 
Planting of cover crops is recommended as an integral part of bamboo plant care. Cover crops are plants grown or maintained for purposes like those of mulches, with the addition that they are live. Seeds of leguminous vines can be seeded or broadcasted.

5. Crop Protection. 
Bamboo is resistant to insect pests and diseases. Should there be incidence, apply any pesticide. To ensure that the plants will not be injured by astray animals, each should be provided with a tree guard or the whole plantation is fenced. The fence will also exclude intruders who may be tempted to harvest young shoots.
As protection from fire especially during dry months, strips of land can be made into firebreaks by plowing to get rid of combustible vegetation.

6. Fertilizing. 
Although bamboo plants can survive in poor soils, it is advantageous to apply fertilizer for optimum growth. Fertilizer application at the rate of 200-300 gm per plant starts after planting and every 3-4 months thereafter. As the clumps become thicker, the rate of fertilizer should also be increased progressively. The application of fertilizer can be scheduled at the start and at the end of the rainy season in areas having pronounced dry and rainy seasons.
Organic fertilizers such as compost and manures may also be used in combination with or as a substitute to synthetic fertilizers.

7. Pruning. 
The lower branches of the culms should be removed to enhance farm visibility, promote air movement and facilitate ease in fertilization and harvesting. Partial pruning of the thorny thicket surrounding the clumps of kawayan tinik is also recommended to allow passage between clumps especially when planted with narrow spacing. Sufficient thicket should be retained to hold the culms erect.

8. Cleaning. 
Thinning or removal of dead, damaged and defective culms is done 3 years after planting. This will promote visibility and provide more space for the growth of new shoots. In large clumps, removal of young shoots with narrow diameter is recommended. These will develop into small culms but will likely become hindrances during harvesting.

9. Roguing. 
Roguing is the removal of off-types and is an essential part of bamboo plant care in bhudda belly (Bambusa ventricosa). In such species, it is expected that shoots belonging to bayog (Bambusa sp.) will grow within the clump. Left unchecked, bayog will invade the clump and, ultimately, it will consist purely of bayog culms


To preserve the specific identity of the clump, off-types should be removed immediately. The rhizome from where the off-type culm originated should be removed.

10. Harvesting. 
Mature culms of desirable sizes are ready for harvest at 3-5 years after planting. Harvesting is preferably done during dry months. The removal of culms will promote the growth of new shoots, in time for the incoming rainy season.

These practices will improve your Bamboo harvests and Production. I hope that you have learned a lot from these simple techniques. I hope that you will have a Successful Bamboo Business!

Philippine President issues EO 879

Bamboo is growing popularity for construction because of its structural strength, flexibility and sustainability as a building material. Unlike hardwoods that can not be easily replenished, it takes bamboos 2-5 years, depending on the variety, to harvest; and no need to replant. 


With the world's increasing sensitivity to the environment, caused by the Tsunami in Japan and Global Warming fears, the world is espousing Green Architecture. Consequently, they are introducing eco-friendly materials such as bamboo.



In the Philippines, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo created the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC)by issuing Executive Order No. 879 on May 14, 2010. It created the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council and directed the use of bamboo for at least 25 percent of the desk and other furniture requirements of public elementary and secondary schools. It also directed the prioritization in the use of bamboo in furniture, fixtures and other construction requirements of government facilities. 


Moreover, the Order gave strong and logical reasons that “the Philippines has committed to reforest at least 500,000 hectares with bamboo as part of the 1 million hectares of designated areas as its contribution to the ASEAN commitment of 20 million hectares of new Forest by 2020 as part of its initiatives to improve the environment”.

This pronouncement indicates that growing bamboo is an international initiative designed to mitigate adverse climatic changes and for ecological enhancement. The statistics also indicate the feasibility of establishing plant nurseries. The Bamboo indeed is here to stay.

Bamboo Farming as a Viable Global Crop Venture

There is a new recommended crop today: bamboo. It is not a vegetable nor a fruit but they harvest it all the same.

The potential of growing bamboo has expanded.
This is primarily due to advances in the engineered bamboo technology in conjunction with the worldwide concern to mitigate Global Warming. 

The bamboo plant is no longer a poor man’s timber. Traditionally used for household convenience including source of low-cost materials for house construction, tools, vegetable and ornamentation, it has now established its commercial value as a timber substitute and for a multiple number of uses as an engineered product.

Engineered bamboo or e-bamboo is the mechanical and chemical manipulation of the bamboo pole to produce products which serve as substitute for wood. The engineered products include planks, tiles, balusters, mats, veneer, plywood and boards.


Finished products using 100 percent engineered bamboo include doors, windows, flooring, trusses, beams, chairs, desks, tables and furniture.

In Mexico City, Architect Simon Velez built the 55,200-square-foot Nomadic Museum using bamboo which is also referred to as “vegetal steel”. The building occupied half of the Zocalo, Latin America’s largest plaza. He built more structures around the world. (Associated Press, 2008). The press release also says that there are a few commercial bamboo farms to meet the growing demand.

The bamboo plant is no longer a poor man’s timber. Traditionally used for household convenience including source of low-cost materials for house construction, tools, vegetable and ornamentation, it has now established its commercial value as a timber substitute and for a multiple number of uses as an engineered product.
 
According to Van Der Lugt and Lobovikov (2008), the current value of the international bamboo trade is probably between US$1.5 to $3 billion with China as the main supplier, followed by India. The European Union (EU) and USA are the largest importers, accounting for up to 80% of the total bamboo imports. They noted that besides flooring, markets for other engineered bamboo products such as veneer, panels and boards are growing.



The stable worlwide demand for wood and the increasing interest in sustainably produced timber further boost the potential market for industrial bamboo products. Among many western consumers, bamboo is an inherently sustainable resource. Thus industrial bamboo is seen to compete for hardwood in the twenty-first century.
However, the present supply from natural stands is limited. This needs to be increased manyfold by growing bamboo in available land.

According to Einav (2009), UNIDO has helped India “rediscover” bamboo. India’s current demand for bamboo is an estimated 27 million tons. But only 50 percent of that demand can be met because of lack of facilities for value addition and transportation.



These worldwide trends on supply and demand, therefore, clearly strengthens the feasibility of growing bamboo as a viable crop venture in the World.