Influence of Bud Position on Mother Stem And Soaking Duration on Sprouting of Bamboo Cuttings

Abstract

Bamboo is one of the fastest growing and highest yielding renewable natural resources with multiple uses in the world. It is used to make furniture, charcoal, food, control soil erosion and can assist in carbon sequestration. The increasing rate of tropical deforestation calls for search for alternative natural resources and the characteristics of bamboo make it a perfect choice. The major constraint in the use of bamboo is the lack of an efficient propagation method. The objective of this study wase to establish an efficient propagation method and to evaluate the adaptability of different bamboo varieties, to Nyungwe National Park (NNP) and the surrounding zones.The trial was conducted in Nyaruguru District, Ruheru Sector bordering Nyungwe National. Basal, middle and apical cuttings were harvested from three bamboo species (Bambusa vulgaris, Arundinaria alpina and an unknown native bamboo growing naturally in the Nyungwe forests). Results of the trial indicated that the three species were not significantly different in terms of stem diameter. However, the number of sprouts that emerged from cuttings differed with species: Bambusa vulgaris producing 22.2 sprouts, Arundinaria alpina 18.1 and the native bamboo producing 15.0 sprouts. On the other hand, the native bamboo had a mean height of 54.0 cm, while Bambusa vulgaris 36.6 and Arundinaria alpina had 30.8 cm..The soaking treatments did not have significant difference on all the parameters evaluated. This reproducible protocol opens new prospects for propagation of bamboo and will go a long way in alleviating the shortage of planting materials and exploiting the enormous potential of bamboo in Rwanda.

Factors affecting macropropagation of bamboo with special reference to culm cuttings: a review update

“…Lower sprouting from cuttings from the top region compared to those from the middle region has been reported by Bwanali et al (2006). Ntirugulirwa et al (2012) reported cuttings of the middle region had the highest number of sprouts (21.73) in comparison to the basal part (13.83) in Arundinaria alpine, and the figures in Bambusa vulgaris were 25.70 (middle part) and 17.37 (basal part). But the basal part of the culm, particularly for larger-diameter aerial culm-bearing nodes or buds, had the higher rooting capacity (Kigomo 2007).…”

“…Cutting-based propagation Vegetative propagation using 'cuttings' has advantages over 'rhizome'/'offsets' (Ntirugulirwa et al 2012). Cutting-based propagation does not damage the mother plant and cuttings are also easily available for large-scale propagation.…”

“…The one-node cutting method is the most promising for propagation because it is the most economical and easiest to handle. This method is recommended for raising planting stocks of the genera Bambusa, Dendrocalamus and Gigantochloa (Manipula et al 1990;Ntirugulirwa et al 2012). During propagation, the orientation of cutting materials in bedding material is considered a critical factor to get optimum response (Medina et al 1962).…”

“…Seeding in bamboo is very irregular and unavailable for most of the species (Arya et al 2002;Ntirugulirwa et al 2012). Bamboo flowers gregariously or sporadically after long intervals to produce seeds.…”

Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris) Regeneration by Cuttings: Comparative Study of Planting Methods of Culm Cuttings at UR-CAVM Busogo Campus Tree Nursery

“…Therefore bamboo can contribute greatly to the mitigation of climate change impacts particularly in the poor rural communities. In Rwanda, bamboo has traditionally been used for construction, handicrafts, beans' stakes, and making various household articles [9]. Despite the multiple use of bamboo, bamboo has rarely been planted on forestland.…”