Flowering nature and performance of seedlings raised plantation of Dendrocalamus giganteus

Banik, Ratan Lal

doi:https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps2000-2022-V637SZ

Abstract

During 2014-2015 one clump of Dendrocalamus giganteus flowered at Garh Mukteshwar Farm, Hapur in Uttar Pradesh, India. Part of the clump flowered during May, 2014 and died in July after yielding little amount of seeds; the remaining part flowered in next year June and died by August 2015 without any seed setting. Past reports and present study showed that occasionally the species also flower completely and die with or without seeds; in some instances, a few flowering clumps rejuvenated to vegetative state. D. giganteus rarely flowered sporadically but not reported gregariously and might have more than one flowering populations (cohorts). A plantation of 165 clumps of D. giganteus was raised through available seedlings and studied their growth performance. The clump height, culm diameter, and number of full grown culms produced per clump in 3rd and 5th year of plantation are presented and discussed. The majority of clumps exhibited satisfactory growth after 5th year of age. No disease and growth abnormalities were noticed in any clumps in the plantation.

Keywords

Dendrocalamus giganteus, Flowering nature and Cycle, Giant bamboo, Growth performance Seedling raised plantation

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Fig. 1

Flowering in Dendrocalamus giganteus clump and spikelets; (a) Part of the clump of D. giganteus flowered during January-February 2014 Culms produced long pendulous leafless floral shoots. (b) On the nodes of leafy branches, pseudo spikelets developed in cluster like a head on each node of the long pendulous leafless floral shoot. Stamens with long filaments, style also long, hairy ending in a feathery bright purple stigma visible from far away during February–March. (c) The spikelets were somewhat flattened ovate, acute, and slightly sharp spiny. (d) In the second year by June 2015, remaining green part of the clump flowered but produced empty caryopses and died

Fig. 2

Seeds brownish, grain like, oblong, 6-8 mm long, obtuse, hairy above and covered with glumes produced in April-June

Fig. 3

Seed germination and seedlings of D. giganteus; (a) Seeds germinated in bed, a few seedlings are albino (b) Seedlings 40-45 days of age transferred in polythene bags containing sand, soil and FYM at the ratio of 2:2:1

Fig. 4

A 5-year old plantation of D. giganteus raised from seedling at Garh Mukteshwar Farm. Plantation consists of 165 clumps

Fig. 5

A graph showing the number of 165 clumps distributed among different height groups (Gr-I, Gr-II, Gr-III, GR-IV, Gr-V, Gr-VI) at 3 and 5 years plantation of D. giganteus raised through seedlings

Fig. 6

Clump quality at 5th years of D. giganteus plantation raised from seedlings. (a) Clump considered as Good quality--- having culm diameter 6.4- 7.2cm and attained height 6.2m to7.8m, In the population of 165 clumps about 41.2 percent i.e. 68 clumps are in this quality having culm diameter range 6.0 to 7.99cm and height 6.0m to 7.99m., (b) Clump considered as Better or Good⁺quality------ A clump having culms diameter from 8.6 to 11.0 cm and attained height 9.3 to 10.6m. About 18.8 percent i.e. 31 clumps are in this quality having culm diameter range 8.0-11.99cm and height 8.0m -11.9m. (c) Clump considered as Averagequality ----- A clump having culms diameter from 4.2 to 6.0 cm and attained height 6.3 to 7.8m. About 26.7 per cent i.e. 44 clumps are of this average quality in the population. (d) Clump considered as Poor quality ----- A clump having culms diameter from 2.3 to 3.7cm and attained height 2.7 to 5.1m. The remaining 13.3 per cent i.e. 22 clumps in the population had less than 4.0 cm diameter and most were of height 2.0m to 5.9m, thus showed Poor quality growth

Fig. 7

Percentage of clumps available in each ranges of culms number produced per clump in 165 clump population of D. giganteus plantation at 3 years BLUE bars; at 5 years BROWN bars [ X axis = ranges of culm number produced per clump: vertical Y axix= % of clump

References

1. Azlin, N., 2012. Dendrocalamus giganteus: the giant bamboo bearing rare flowers. Official Website Posted on 1st November 2012, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. [https://www.frim.gov.my/colour-of-frim/dendrocalamus-giganteus-the-giant-bamboo-bearing-rare-flowers/]

2. Bahadur, K. N., 1979. Taxonomy of bamboos. Indian J. Forest., 2(3), pp.222-241.

3. Banik, R.L., 1987. Techniques of bamboo propagation with special reference to pre-rooted and prerhizomed branch cuttings and tissue culture. In: Rao, A.N., Dhanarajan, G. & Sastry, C.B. (Editors): Recent research on bamboos. Proceedings of the international bamboo workshop, October 6-14, 1985, Hangzhou, China. The Chinese Academy of Forestry, China and International Development Research Centre, Canada. pp.160-169.

Flowering nature and performance of seedlings raised plantation of Dendrocalamus giganteus

Ratan Lal Banik

Journal of Non-Timber Forest Products | Volume: 28 | Issue: 3 | Page No. 67-78 | 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps2000-2022-V637SZ | Cite this article