Bamboo Farming in India

Table of Contents

• Bamboo Farming in India - An Overview
• List of Top Commercial Bamboo Varieties
• Steps of Bamboo Cultivation
  • Soil and Climate Requirement
  • Propagation of Bamboo
  • Plantation in Bamboo
  • Irrigation and Intercropping in Bamboo
  • Harvesting of Bamboo
• Uses and Applications of Bamboo in India
• National Bamboo Mission

Bamboo Farming in India - An Overview

Bamboo, locally known as Baans, is widespread across the nation. Technically, bamboo is a grass belonging to the subfamily Bambusoideae. The India has 23 genera and 136 species of bamboo. Most of the bamboo is present in the country's north-eastern regions which are self-growned bamboo forests. In recent years, farmers are attracted towards commercial bamboo farming. The bamboo plant requires low maintenance and shows rapid growth.

India is the second largest bamboo producer globally after China. The India had a bamboo coverage of almost 15 million hectares, as per the Forest Report 2021 study. Among different states, Madhya Pradesh was the leading state with maximum bamboo coverage at 1.84 million hectares. The National Bamboo Mission has stated 18 bamboo species for the commercial cultivation in India. Among these, the top 10 are as follows:

List of Top Commercial Bamboo Varieties

• Bambusa Bambos
• Bambusa Balcooa
• Bambusa Nutans
• Bambusa Vulgaris Green
• Dendrocalamus Asper
• Dendrocalamus Hamiltonii
• Dendrocalamus Giganteus
• Dendrocalamus Brandisii
• Dendrocalamus Strictus
• Bambusa Tulda

Steps of Bamboo Cultivation

Soil and Climate Requirement

Bamboo does not require specific soil to grow and is adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions. The soil can vary from mineral-rich to organically poor. However, an ideal soil condition for bamboo plantation should be clay loam or sandy loam soil with efficient drainage and a pH level of 4.5 to 6.

Bamboo is capable of flourishing in diverse climatic conditions, such as near rivers, ponds, slopes of hills and other places. The most favourable temperature for bamboo cultivation in India ranges between 7° Celsius to 40° Celsius, and an average of 20° Celsius is most suitable.

Propagation of Bamboo

Bamboo propagation is achieved using different approaches, such as propagation through seeds, branch cutting, culm cuttings, layering and Rhizome cuttings. The advantages of these approaches involve cost-effectiveness, suitability to both thick and thin-walled bamboo, and a higher rate of survival.

Below are different methods related to propagation of bamboo:

• Seeds: Bamboo seeds have limited availability as they produce seeds once in a lifetime. With a limited viability time of one to two months, the seeds are processed, cleaned, and sown immediately.
• Branch Cutting: It is easiest propagation methods, and the ideal time is after pre-monsoon showers. For effective propagation, branches are cut into four to eight nodes and the basal is dipped in growth regulator solution for 24 hours before planting.
• Culm Cuttings: This propagation method is most suitable for thick-walled bamboo species and offers a much better success rate than branch cutting.
• Layering: In this propagation method, the branch or culm is attached to a moist soil while it relates to a mother plant. This allows the successful propagation of the new branch.
• Rhizome Cutting: It is suitable for monopodial bamboo comprising runner-type rhizomes. The Rhizome with roots, culm or culm stock are used for propagation.

Plantation in Bamboo

Bamboo plantation initiates with the transplantation of culms or through seeds. The initial step is to ensure a proper farming area. Even though bamboo can be grown in diverse soil, suitable soil is likely to improve the growth potential. Bamboos are mostly favourable to partial shed of the trees. Hence, it is recommended to grow bamboos with trees. The spacing between bamboo plants varies by species, depending on their mature size. Disease-free culm and seeds must be planted to avoid mortality in plantation and to achieve high-quality bamboo.

Irrigation and Intercropping in Bamboo

Until the rhizome develops, it needs irrigation for first 2-3 years. An efficient irrigation system promotes bamboo growth. The drip irrigation is the most effective method, which is done along with inter-cropping such as turmeric and vegetables. Inter-cropping activities ensure weed control and reduces soil erosion. Bamboo shoots need to be protected from wild animals in the initial growth stage.

Harvesting of Bamboo

Depending on the species cultivated, bamboo harvesting time can vary. First harvesting of bamboo happens after four to six years from initial plantation and then the cutting of mature culm is done every year. The culms are not harvested during the growth season or during monsoon months. But culms are managed so that excessive culms do not restrict the future growth of the bamboo. A high-quality harvest for commercial purposes ensures high bamboo costs, thus offering high income opportunity and economic stability to the farmers involved.

Uses and Applications of Bamboo in India

• Medicinal purposes
• Food
• Furniture
• Bamboo biochar
• Fuel
• Paper
• Handicrafts
• Construction
• Boat masts

National Bamboo Mission

Launched in 2018 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), the National Bamboo Mission seeks to promote bamboo cultivation in India by focusing on the development of the complete value chain associated with the bamboo industry. It aims to link the bamboo growers to the consumers, which involves all aspects, starting from plantation, creating infrastructure, skilled workforce and marketing.

Key Features

• Improve the plantation area for bamboo in non-forest private and government lands.
• Improve the post-harvest management by establishing processing units near the production source and other related infrastructure.
• Promote skill development and create awareness regarding the bamboo sector.
• Promoting the necessary research and development required in the industry at small and medium levels.
• Re-align all the efforts to reduce bamboo imports and improve the overall productivity to enhance the income of the producers.

Benefits

• The scheme assists farmers, government agencies, artisans, SHGs, private agencies, entrepreneurs and other persons involved in the bamboo industry.
• It helps in establishing bamboo nursery, bamboo cultivation, post-harvest processing, product manufacturing, capacity building, entrepreneurship, etc. for the industry.
• It helps in creating self-dependency for fulfilling the demand of bamboo and bamboo products.