Bamboo Management

Different species of bamboo are widely used for a variety of purposes by mountain people. They are used in construction and fencing; for basketry, mats, and furniture; as food and animal fodder; and for many minor products. Bamboo makes an important contribution to the socioeconomic development of mountain people. It is important to manage bamboo clumps well to ensure good development of culms in size and number. Without proper management, the clumps become underproductive and susceptible to fungi that can reduce their vigour and even destroy them. In the conventional harvesting method, the peripheral culms are removed, which later leads to congestion at the centre of the clump and leads to extraction problems. Farmers generally prefer to cut bamboo culms at ground level and not leave a stump. However, in reality it is better to cut a bamboo culm above a node or few internodes above ground level so that it will produce more new shoots. The bamboo culms need to be harvested at around three to four years of age; after four years, fewer shoots are produced and the quality of the bamboo slowly deteriorates.

In Nepal, ICIMOD operates a bamboo management plot. The plot was established to demonstrate better ways of managing bamboo clumps to produce more shoots and higher quality bamboo. The management methods demonstrated at ICIMOD (traditional vs tunnel method) were tested by research institutes in China and the Forest Research and Survey Center, Nepal.

ICIMOD