Bamboo Research in the Philippines - Cristina A

1/15/14 Bamboo research in the Philippines - Cristina A. Roxas

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Bamboo research in the Philippines - Cristina A. Roxas

Senior Science Research Specialist, Forest Ecosystem Research Division,Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau, Department of Environment andNatural Resources, College, Laguna, The Philippines.

Introduction

The Philippines has a total land area of 300 000 km2. It is composed of more than7000 islands clustered into three major groups namely: Luzon, Visayas, andMindanao.

The country has a tropical climate, temperature of 21-34°C and annual rainfall of 120-

270 m3. It is rich in natural resources but some of it is endangered due to illegallogging, mining and other land utilization as well as over exploitation problems. Thenatural vegetation is highly diverse with some 8500 species of flowering plants and2000 species of ferns. It has 15.88 million ha or 53% of the total land area declared asforest lands. The remaining forests comprise 5686 million ha or 18.9% of the totalland area of the country. Out of the total forests, only about 0.805 million ha or 14%remain dipterocarp old growth or virgin forests. These areas have been placed underthe National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) for conservation andprotection since 1 Jan 1992, hence, no logging is allowed in these areas. Theremaining residual forests, on the other hand, comprise only of 2963 million ha or52% of the total forest area. Pine forests cover 0.232 million ha or 4% of the area (ThePhilippine Forestry Statistics 1995).

Bamboo resources and species

There has not been any reliable inventory of available erect bamboos nationwideexcept that of an FRI-RP-German Project conducted in 1988. Result of the saidinventory estimated the bamboo resources at about 10 730 million linear metres,most of which are represented by climbing bamboos totalling 8318 linear metres. Inthe said inventory, only five species were covered. Of the five species covered,Schizostachyum lima and Schizostachyum lumampao which are naturally growing inthe forests were the most plentiful, the former with 27.2 million culms and the latter,with 172.0 million culms available. The Master Plan (1997) for the development ofbamboo as a renewable and sustainable resource reported that there were 39 000 to52 000 ha of bamboo stand distributed as follows: 20 500-34 000 ha in the forestlands; 2236 ha in government plantation; 3037 ha of privately-owned plantations; and13 455 ha of “natural stands”.

At present, there are 62 species of bamboos recorded in the country. Previousrecords (1991) showed only 47 bamboo species. The increase in the number ofspecies was due to the introduction of some bamboos as a result of the efforts of theEcosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) to establish bambuseta ina number of places in the country, ie. Baguio City; Los Baños, Laguna; Nabunturan,Davao del Norte; Malaybalay and Bukidnon. There may have been other newintroductions of bamboos in the country, but these have not been reported, seen oridentified. Most likely, these are bamboos introduced and planted by garden

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enthusiasts and are kept as private collections.

Of the 62 bamboo species which are shown in Table 1, 21 are endemic or nativePhilippine bamboos. Thirteen are climbers and eight are erect. The rest areintroduced and a few of them, introduced in prehistoric times. The commerciallyimportant bamboos which are usually used in construction, furniture, basketry anddecorative articles are shown in Table 2. The current commercial bamboos can beincreased to 15 species, especially those with thick culm walls and big-diameterculms which include Bambusa bambos (L.) Voss, B. oldhamii Munro, B. utilis Lin,Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro D., giganteus Munro, and Guadua angustifolia Kunth(Rojo 1998; Dransfield and Widjaja 1995; Gonzales and Umali 1995; INBAR 1997;Pancho and Obien 1988).

Table 1. Bamboo species growing in the Philippines

Genus Species Remarks Origin

Arundinaria A. amabilis NI Chile

Bambusa B. atra OI New Guinea

B. bambos OI India

B. blumeana OI Java & Malaya

B. cornuta OI

B. dolichomerithalla OI Taiwan

Bambusa sp. 1 N

B. multiplex OI Southern China

B. multiplex f. variegata NI Japan

B. multiplex f. elegans NI Japan

B. multiplex cv. fernleaf NI

B. multiplex cv. golden goddess NI Chile

B. multiplex cv. A. Karr NI Chile

B. oldhamii OI China

B. tuldoides OI Southern China

B. utilis OI Southern China

B. vulgaris OI China

B. vulgaris var. maculata OI

B. vulgaris var. striata OI

B. vulgaris cv. wamin OI China

Chimonobambusa

C. falcata NI

(Syn. Sinarundinaria falcata)

Dendrocalamus D. asper OI

D. brandisii NI

D. giganteus NI

D. latiflorus OI

D. membranaceus NI

D. strictus NI

Dinochloa Dinochloa sp. N



Dinochloa sp. N

D. diffusa N

Dinochloa sp. N

D. luconiae N

D. pubiramaea N

Gigantochloa G. atroviolacea NI

G. atter OI

G. levis OI Java and Sumatra

Guadua

G. angustifolia NI Columbia

G. angustifolia var. bicolor NI Columbia

Melocanna M. baccifera NI Bangladesh

Pleioblastus P. argenteastriatus NI Japan

P. chino f. elegantissimus NI Japan

P. chino f. pumilus NI Chile

P. chino f. pygmaeus NI Chile

P. distichus NI Japan

P. fortunei cv. fortunei NI Japan

Phyllostachys P. aurea OI China

P. bambusoides NI Australia

P. nigra NI China

P. pubescens NI Japan

Sasa S. kurilensis NI Chile

S. nipponica NI Japan

S. palmata NI Chile

Sasaella S. ramosa NI Chile

Schizostachyum S. brachycladum yellow OI Asia

S. brachycladum green OI Phil.

S. lima N Phil.

S. lumampao N Phil.

Schizostachyum sp. N Phil.

Schizostachyum sp. N Phil.

Shibataea S. kumasasa NI Japan

Thyrsostachys T. siamensis OI Thailand

Yushania Y. niitakayamensis OI

N - Native Species, NI - New Introductions, OI - Old Introductions(PCARRD 1991; Reyes 1992; RP-German project 1988; Sinohin 1990)

Table 2. Economically important bamboos (FAO/ERDB/DENR 1991)

1. Bambusa blumeana - J. A. & J. H. Schultes2. B. vulgaris Schrader ex Wendland3. Bambusa sp. 1



4. Bambusa sp. 25. Dendrocalamus asper (Shultes f.) Backer ex Heyne6. Gigantochloa atter (Hassk) Kurz.7. G. levis (Blanco) Merr.8. Schizostachyum lumampao (Blanco) Merr.

There are also other bamboo species which need to be conserved. These speciesare considered rare and endangered like Bambusa atra, Bambusa cornuta,Schizostachyum luzonicum, S. textorium, Cephalostachyum mindorensis andYushania niitakayamensis.

Culture and heritage

Bamboo is integral in the lives of the Filipinos and its endless uses affect them frombirth through their life. Rural midwives use the razor-sharp bamboo knife(Schizostachyum lima) to cut off the newly born baby's umbilical cord. Houses arebuilt with bamboo splits or woven bamboo mats called “pawali”. Bamboo is nourishingfood when cooked with coconut milk, fish or with “salujot” (jute, local green vegetable).Culms are carved to make cooking utensils or containers for rice.

It also forms a part of the country's history and cultural heritage. The famous bambooorgan in Lao Piras Church in Paranague, Rigal was built in 1818 by Father DiegoCerra, a priest-musician, visited by many tourists even at present.

The national dancers use bamboo as part of the dance as in the famous “tinikling”and the elegant “singkil” where dancers weave in and out of bamboo poles poundedtogether rhythmically. Thin-walled bamboos like the ratine butio (Schizostachyumlumampao) are used.

In “tuba” (coconut wine) gathering system, bamboo poles are arranged for gatherersto move freely from one tree to another in their “avenue in the sky”). Balo(Kligantochloa buis) is the species usually used for this purpose.

Bamboo research and development

Aside from initiating the establishment of pilot bamboo plantations and bambuseta indifferent parts of the country, ERDB, through the UNDP-FAO Bamboo Research andDevelopment Project, conducted research on various aspects of bamboos. Differentprogrammes were conducted to raise the awareness of the people on the importanceof bamboos. Farmer Training on Bamboo Propagation was conducted in differentparts of the country. Out of the results of research and technologies developed,different publications resulted and they were distributed to various sectors. Sincethen, people have become aware of the potentials of bamboo and both the public andprivate individuals/organizations embarked on the massive propagation and plantingof bamboos.

Bamboo taxonomy

Logically, it is important that all bamboo species must be properly identified. Bamboosare found everywhere and research on various aspects of bamboo involve manyproblems in the country. The information accumulated from such research shouldalso be transferable. However, if the bamboo species are not correctly identified and ifvoucher specimens are not kept or cited, the result has little value. Likewise,identification of bamboos with common or local names, is absolutely discouragedbecause a bamboo species has many local names not only in the place where it



grows, but also in the town or provinces, where it is found growing or marketed. In thecase of the Philippine bamboos, there are a number of taxonomic problems.Verification based on the previously collected and identified voucher specimensbecame impossible because these collections were burned during the war. Newcollections were only made in the late 1980s, when the Philippine Plant InventoryProject was implemented, with Dr Benjamin Stone as the consultant. Othertaxonomists like Dr Elizabeth A. Widjaja of Herbarium Bogoriense, Bogor, Indonesiaand Dr Soejatmi Dransfield of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, UK have helped inthe identification of some of the important bamboos in the country.

In 1989, Dr Widjaja visited the Philippines and conducted a training course onBamboo Taxonomy. She visited different parts of the country to identify variousbamboos.

In 1993, Dr S. Dransfield also visited different parts of country, specifically the Luzonarea. She collected specimens of Schizostachyum and Dinochloa, which neededfurther verification. Since then, she studied, revised and published articles on the saidbamboo species. In 1994, Rojo et al. conducted a 3-year project on bamboos “Fieldguide for the identification of erect bamboos grown in the Philippines,” collectedbotanical materials from the field for taxonomic study, provided updated nomenclatureof the species and produced a guide book for their identification. In this project, 42erect bamboo species were identified and described, a key for the identification wasconstructed.

Bamboo conservation

Due to the diminishing wood supply, bamboos are now in high demand as rawmaterial sources for furniture, handicraft and many products. Because of this,bamboos are over cut by improper harvesting methods, causing serious geneticerosion due to unabated pressure. Hence, there is an urgent need for in situ and exsitu conservation, especially for those considered rare and endangered. In 1987,ERDB, through the UNDP-FAO Bamboo Research and Development Project,initiated the establishment of pilot bamboo plantations and bambuseta in differentparts of the country. Details about these plantations and bambuseta are shown inTables 3 and 4.

Table 3. Bamboo species planted in pilot plantations, their hectarage andlocation

Location Species planted Area/s planted

Rosario, La Union

Bambusa blumeana 2 ha

Bambusa vulgaris 2 ha

Bambusa sp. 1 (bayog) 2 ha

Dendrocalamus asper 2 ha

Magalang, Pampanga




Gigantochloa levis 2 ha

Dunarao, Capiz







Minglanilla, Cebu






Schizostachyum lumampao 2 ha

Malaybalay, Bukidnon







Bislig, Surigao del Sur


Bambusa sp. 2 (laak) 2 ha


Gigantochloa atter 2 ha



Table 4. Location area covered and number of species planted in differentbambuseta

Location Area covered(ha)

Number of speciesplanted

Philippine Bambusetum Loakan, Baguio City 4.4 62

Los Baños Bambusetum Los Baños, Laguna 2.2 34

Davao Bambusetum Nabunturan, Davao delNorte

2 33

Bukidnon Bambusetum Malaybalay,Bukidnon

10 31

ERDB Bambusetum Los Baños, Laguna 20

Bamboo propagation

Knowledge on different methods of propagation is vital to determine the appropriatemethod for each particular species and their growth condition. Bamboos can bepropagated either by seeds, culm cuttings, branch cuttings or marcotting, offset orrhizome cutting and tissue culture.

Propagation by seed

This method is seldom used because of the rare and irregular flowering of mostbamboo species. Besides, most bamboos produce infertile seeds or they seldomdevelop seeds. Moreover, most bamboos generally die soon after flowering (Table 5).In 1990, Sinohin conducted a study on the “Phenology of some bamboos in the



Philippines” and recorded phenological details of flowering and fruiting of 7 bamboospecies namely: Bambusa blumeana, Bambusa sp., Schizostachyum lumampao,Dendrocalamus latiflora, Dendrocalamus asper, Gigantochloa levis and Gigantochloaatter, growing in different parts of the country (Table 6). Results showed that in allspecies, formation of flower buds started from October to November and then theflowers bloomed continuously throughout the year. Preliminary surveys andobservations also showed that among the flowering bamboo species, onlyGigantochloa levis and Schizostachyum lumampao produced viable seeds.Approximately 5 g of seeds of G. levis were collected and germinated, 50%germination was obtained after 3 days. Several germinants were also observed onthe spike. Wildlings were also observed. Likewise, about 10 g seeds of S. lumampaowere collected in Naguilian Road in Tuba, Benguet. Eighty percent germination wasobtained in 2-8 days. Several germinants were also observed on the spike and on theground.

Table 5. Flowering bamboo species

Scientific Name Place collected DateCollected

Gigantochloa levis Laguna; Batangas; Quezon; Iloilo; Davao 1989; 1990

Dendrocalamus asper Samar; Leyte; Bukidnon 1990; 1994

Dendrocalamus latiflorus Baguio; Davao 1990

Schizostachyum lumampao La Union; Laguna; Abra; Ilocos Norte 1988; 1989;1990

Schizostachyum lima Laguna 1993

Schizostachyumbrachycladum

Laguna; Batangas 1990

Schizostachyum (greenvariety)

Nueva Viscaya, Davao 1990

Bambusa blumeana Laguna; Batangas; Bulacan 1990

Bambusa sp. (bayog) Nueva Viscaya; Baguio 1990

Bambusa atra Davao 1983

Bambusa vulgaris Legaspi (Albay); Samar 1991; 1994

Gigantochloa atter Leyte 1990

Schizostachyum luzonicum Zambales 1995

Schizostachyum fenixii Abra 1995

Pseudostachyumpolymorphum

Nueva Viscaya 1989

Dinochloa species (4) Mt. Sto. Tomas; Benguet; Batangas;Pampanga; Rizal

1994

Bambusa vulgaris var.striata

Quezon City 1995

Thyrsostachys siamensis Baguio City 1995

Table 6. Bamboo species that produced seeds

Scientific Name Place collected Date collected

1. Schizostachyum lumampao La Union; Benguet April 1989



2. Schizostachyum brachycladum Laguna; Batangas May 1990

3. Gigantochloa levis Laguna March 1990

4. Dendrocalamus asper Samar May 1994

5. Dendrocalamus latiflorus Baguio March 1990

6. Dinochloa species Rizal; Benguet; Pampanga Feb. 1989

7. Pseudostachyum polymorphum Nueva Viscaya Feb. 1989

Propagation by tissue culture

In 1986, the Institute of Plant Breeding obtained a grant from the InternationalDevelopment Research Centre (IDRC) to work on bamboo tissue culture. In 1988,Zamora et al. reported the results of their study (Zamora et al. 1992). Results showedthat the media composition, sterilization, and contamination were the main problemsencountered. The decontamination procedure for shoots of Dendrocalamus latifloruswas unsuitable for Bambusa blumeana and other species. Callus establishment fromground corms of Bambusa vulgaris, Bambusa sp., Dendrocalamus asper,Gigantochloa levis and Shizostachyum lumampao was observed. Browning wasprominent in these species and D. latiflorus. In 1992, Zamora et al. published resultsof their study entitled “Plant selection, potting mixes and field planting of tissue culturederived plants of Schizostachyum lumampao and Dendrocalamus strictus”. Resultsshowed that higher percentages of survival were obtained with acclimatized plantletsat 2 to 3 leaf stage, timing of potting during warmer months; use of sand; coir dustand soil; sand and coir dust, compost and soil; soil from creekside and sand. Growthof plantlets was favored in rich mixtures containing compost. Rhizomes developedwithin 3 months in nursery. Potting mixtures were recommended for one - step andtwo - step potting protocols. Tissue culture derived plants of Dendrocalamus strictusplanted in the field after 4, 6 and 8 months of nursery care showed that all plantssurvived. Planting at the onset of the rainy season was beneficial and growth wasfastest in older plants. Tissue culture derived plants of Schizostachyum lumampaolikewise survived and grew well.

Vegetative propagation

Over the years many new vegetative propagation techniques have been developed,tested and perfected. The vegetative parts used for propagation were: rhizome oroffset, culm, and branch cuttings. The rhizome or offset method of propagatingbamboo is applicable to species with loose clumps and they are difficult to raise byculm cuttings such as anos (Schizostachyum lima) and buho (Schizostachyumlumampao). The offset can be collected during the rainy season and if the plantingsite is near the source, the offset can be planted immediately in the field. However, itis better to raise them first in plastic bags in the nursery before transplanting toensure better growth and survival in the field (Malab et al. 1995).

Among the vegetative parts, the one node culm cutting method is at present the mostwidely used because it is the most economical and easiest to handle. This method isrecommended for raising planting stocks of the genera Bambusa, Dendrocalamusand Gigantochloa. The cutting should come from healthy one to two-year-old culms.Very young culms rot easily, whereas, older ones withstand transference.

Manipula et al. (1990) conducted a study on the survival and growth of culm cuttingsand whole culms of kayali (Gigantochloa atter) in relation to age and culm portion. Theresults showed that 6-month-old culm had the highest percent bud node sprouts



survival at middle portion (43.33%) but not significantly different from the basal portionof the culm; the average number and height of shoots at the basal portion weresignificantly higher than at the top portion but not very different from the middleportion. The average number of leaves at the basal portion (10.10) was different fromthe middle and top portion; many differences were observed on the average numberof roots and length at 3 portions of the culm used. The average height of shoots of 6-month-old culm was more (6.89 cm) than 1-year-old culm (1.58 cm).

Propagation through branch cuttings is one of the most practical methods and easy tohandle. Thick walled species with stout branches like those of Bambusa andDendrocalamus species grew much better. Generally the basal and middle portion ofthe bamboo pole are good sources of branch cuttings (Malab et al. 1995).

A modified method is branch-marcot cutting. Although this method is similar to culmcutting, rooting is induced first, the branch is cut into one-node pieces after the rootsbecome apparent. The growth of the marcot plants can be enhanced by raising theplants in plastic bags using the same technique as in culm cutting (Malab et al. 1995).

In 1989, Alfonso developed a new and practical method of propagating Bambusablumeana by branch marcottage. He did this by attaching transparent plastic bagsfilled with wet sphagnum moss at the basal portion of branches attached to culmsduring the monsoon months. After two weeks, roots were visible through the plasticfilm. They could be separated and planted.

Cariño (1990) marcotted Bambusa vulgaris using compost, garden soil, manalo rootscombined with polyacrylamide. Data on number of days for root emergence, length ofroots, their color were observed and recorded. Results showed that compost + P4

helped earliest root emergence and longest root length, while manalo roots + P4

produced most number of roots. Using branch cutting was advantageous becausebranches were plentiful.

Decipulo (1997, personal communication) used branch cuttings in the propagation ofDendrocalamus asper in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. The cuttings were planted directly inthe plastic bag, and cut branches from the 2-4 year old culms of D. asper survivedwell.

Ramoran et al. (1993) studied the rapid production of planting stocks from newlyestablished bamboo plantation of commercially important species viz giant bamboo(Dendrocalamus asper), bayog (Bambusa sp. 1) and kawayan tinik (Bambusablumeana). The planting stocks were tested in nursery plots. Survival and height ofsprouts were analyzed and recorded for each species. Results showed that alltreatments were favourable promoting survival and height of sprouts of D. asper. Thevegetative parts particularly the level of rhizome offset, gave highest percentage ofsurvival with a mean value of 46.66. The response of interaction between the 3 to 4-year-old clump and rhizome offsets, gave the highest mean survival value of 56.67percent. No significant variation was found among the treatments used on the survivalof Bambusa sp. 1.

Plantation management and harvesting technique

Large-scale plantations should be planned, taking into consideration the prevalentclimatic conditions and making sure that water source is easily accessible forirrigation purposes. For areas with a marked dry season, the selection of drought-tolerant bamboos like Bambusa sp. 1, Gigantochloa levis or Bambusa blumeana



would be acceptable. For areas with high and regular rainfall or a very short dryseason, Schizostachyum lumampao, Dendrocalamus asper, Gigantochloa atter andBambusa sp. 2 are more suitable.

Pastor (1992) reported that a nursery is vital for establishing a bamboo plantation. In1986, he directly planted cutting's of Bambusa blumeana and out of the 4000 cuttingsplanted, only 1000 survived and the experiment was repeated in 1987. A nursery wasestablished in 1988 and survival rate of plants was 60%. Besides improved survivalrate, they were able to reduce input cost.

The pilot plantation in Magalang, Pampanga, was established in 1989 using nursery-raised cuttings. Grasses obtained from strip brushing were used to maintain moisturein the bamboo clump. Three hundred gm of complete fertilizer was applied annuallyfor three consecutive years, after planting. Gonzales and Umali (1995) reported thatdirect planting of bamboo in a large-scale plantation was not feasible and practical.Bamboo planting stocks should be potted in the nursery for about six to eight monthsbefore outplanting.

The main objective of managing bamboo plantations was to maximize yield throughsustained clump productivity (Virtucio 1996). This was attainable through theapplication of appropriate silvicultural and harvesting techniques for specific bamboospecies. Several factors must be considered to attain such objectives and theseinclude: nature of bamboo stands; site conditions related to the species; specific enduse or utilization properties; and regenerative capacity of the given species.

Harvesting is one of the most important activities in a bamboo plantation not onlybecause it leads to the production of culms than be used or sold but also, it canimprove production both quantity and quality. A preliminary study conducted on B.blumeana indicated that removal of spines and cutting of culms (close to the ground)increased shoot production, reduced shoot mortality and farming of deformed culms.Virtucio and Tomboc (1990) studied the effect of 3 levels of thinning, 3 cutting agegroups and 2 felling cycles on culm yield over a period of 10 years in natural stands ofSchizostachyum lumampao, details were as follows: thinning (heavy, moderate andlight), cutting age (3 years and above, 4 years and above and 5 years and above); andfelling cycle (every year or every 2 years). The results indicated that moderatethinning, cutting once in 3 years and above and felling cycle of 2 years was suitablefor managing Schizostachyum lumampao natural stands and to obtain optimum yield.

Virtucio et al. (1992) studied the effect of 3 levels of thinning, 3 cutting age groups and2 felling cycles on the culm yield of the natural stands of Bambusa blumeana Schultz.The levels of the 3 factors studied were: thinning (heavy, moderate and light); culmcutting age (3 years old and above, 4 years old and above and, 5 years old andabove); felling cycle (every year and every 2 years). The results showed that theapplication of light thinning; cutting of culms 4 years old and above; and a felling cycleof 2 years were the optimum conditions for managing Bambusa blumeana naturalstands.

Utilization

Bamboo is one of the natural resources of the tropics, and because of its widedistribution, availability, rapid growth, easy handling and desirable properties, it hasbeen well used in the daily life of the local community for a wide range of purposes.With the alarming shrinkage of tropical forests and the application of restrictions ontimber harvesting in consideration of environmental concerns, research on the



substitution of timber with bamboo in some areas of utilization was intensified. Inrecent years, bamboos have been used in the highly competitive world market in theform of pulp for paper, parquet, plywood and furniture industries.

Bamboo has some disadvantages like susceptibility to insect and fungal attack, smalldiameter, thin-walled and hollow condition. Improvement can be made by furtherunderstanding of the structure, physical, mechanical, chemical, and technologicalproperties of bamboo. Due to many advancements a number of new bamboo-basedproducts with special properties were developed replacing timber as the raw material.Most of the new products from thin-walled bamboos are in the form of compositesand reconstituted panel products. These products include woven bamboo mat board,corrugated board, bamboo slivers, laminated board, bamboo strips, plyboard,bamboo-based fiberboards, bamboo-based cement-bonded particleboard, and resin-bonded, bamboo-based particleboard (Bello and Espiloy 1995).

Research in progress

Much progress has been made in bamboo research, through the DENR-UNDP-FAOBamboo R & D Project, which initiated research and establishment of pilot plantationsand bambuseta. Much more needs to be done. Different propagation methods arebeing improved, including the use of branch cuttings for propagation of some bamboospecies. Different management and harvesting techniques are being conductedwithin the plantations established through the UNDP-FAO Bamboo R & D Project.The properties of different bamboo species are being studied in search of otherlesser-known species which can be used in addition to the presently usedcommercial species. Likewise, this is being done to increase resources to developnew products.

Initially, it is important to conduct a nationwide survey to determine the existingbamboo resources in the country. Through this survey, the actual number of bamboospecies and their quantity can be determined. Likewise, lesser known species withgreater potential could be found. The identity of each bamboo species should bedetermined and bamboo species on which the local people depend should beprioritized. The rare and endangered bamboo species should be identified,conserved, protected from over-exploitation. More plantations should be established indifferent parts of the country. Proper management of sustainable resources in naturalstands and plantations should be developed. Properties of different bamboo speciesshould be studied to develop new products.

References

Bamboo Master Plan 1997. Executive Summary. Master Plan for the development ofbamboo as a renewable resource. OIDC (Orient Integrated DevelopmentConsultants, Inc.) and cottage industry technology center, DTI, Marikina City, MetroManila.

Bello, E.D. and Z.B. Espiloy. 1995. New products and applications of bamboo. Paperpresented during the national symposium on the sustainability of the bamboo industryheld at the ERDB Auditorium, College, Laguna, 20-21 Dec 1995.

Cariño, F.C. 1990. Marcotting of Bambusa vulgaris Schrad, Using polyacrylamide.Paper presented at the Second National Bamboo R & D Symposium held at theERDB Auditorium, College, Laguna on Dec 14 1990.

Dransfield, S. and E.A. Widjaja (eds.). 1995. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.



7. Bamboos. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden.

Gonzales, L.L. and P.A. Umali, 1995. The art and technique of establishing bambooplantation in cogonal and stony areas. The Magalang Experience. CanopyInternational. Vol. 21. Nos. 1 & 2. pp. 9-11.

INBAR Country Report: Philippine 1997, ERDB, Los Banos.

Malab, S.C., S. Ma. Pablico and L.G. Battad. 1995. Bamboo planting materialproduction and nursery management. Paper presented during the National-BambooSymposium on Dec. 19-21, 1995 held at the ERDB, Auditorium, College, Laguna.

Manipula, B. M., N. So. Gianan and F. D. Virtucio. 1990. Survival and growth of culmcutting and whole culm of Gigantochloa atter as affected by age and culm portion.Paper presented at the Second National Bamboo R & D Symposium held at theERDB Auditorium, College, Laguna December 14, 1990.

Pancho, J.V. and S.R. Obien. 1988. New records of bamboos for the Philippines.Philippine Agriculturist 71:199-223.

Pastor, J. Ma. M. 1992. Nursery and plantation techniques from the viewpoint of aprivate practitioner. Paper presented at the Third National Bamboo R & D Symposiumheld at the ERDB Auditorium, College, Laguna, 27-28 April 1992.

PCARRD, 1991. The Philippines Recommends Bamboo Production. PhilippineRecommends Series No. 53-A. Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry andNatural Resources Research and Development, Los Baños, Laguna.

Philippine Forestry Statistics. 1995. Forest Management Bureau, DENR, Diliman,Quezon City.

Ramoran, E.B., A.B. Lapis and F.D. Virtucio. 1993. Production of planting stocks fromrhizome offsets, culm cuttings and branch cuttings of selected bamboo species.Sylvatrop Vol. 3 No. 2.

Reyes, A. V. 1992. Treatment and preservation of bamboo. Paper presented at theNational Bamboo R & D Symposium held at the ERDB Auditorium, College, Laguna,April 27-28, 1992.

Rojo, J. P. 1998. Bamboo resources of the Philippines. A paper presented at the FirstNational Conference on Bamboo on August 1-2, 1996 at Sarabia Manor, Iloilo City.

Rojo, J.P., C.A. Roxas, C.A. Brinas and F.C. Jr. Pitargue. 1994. Field guide for theidentification of erect bamboos grown in the Philippines. Terminal Report. DOST-PCARRD-FPRDI grants-in-aid Project.

RP-German FRI Project. 1988. Natural Forest Resources of the Philippines. ForestManagement Bureau, DENR, Diliman, Quezon City.

Sinohin, V. O. 1990. Phenological observations on seven Philippine bamboo species.Paper presented at the Second National Bamboo Research and DevelopmentSymposium held at the ERDB Auditorium College, Laguna, December 14, 1990.

Virtucio, F.D. 1996. Bamboo harvesting methods and techniques. CanopyInternational 22(5)4-5.



Virtucio, F.D. and C.C. Tomboc. 1990. Effects of thinning, cutting age and felling cycleon culm yield of Schizostchyum lumampao natural stands. Paper presented at theSecond National Bamboo R & D Symposium held at ERDB Auditorium, College,Laguna on Dec. 14, 1990.

Virtucio, F.D., N.S. Uriarte and M.T. Uriarte. 1992. Effect of thinning, cutting age, andfelling cycle on culm yield of Bambusa blumeana natural stands. Paper presented atthe Third National Bamboo R & D Symposium held at ERDB Auditorium, College,Laguna. April 27-28, 1992.

Zamora, A.B., S. Sm. Gruezo and G. Rodic. 1992. Plant selection, potting mixes andfield planting of tissue culture derived plants of Schizostachyum lumampao andDendrocalamus strictus. Paper presented at the Third National Bamboo R & DSymposium held at the ERDB Auditorium, College, Laguna; April 27-28, 1992.



Bamboo Research in the Philippines - Cristina A

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