Organic on-farm bamboo variety trials for shoot/pole production in the Pacific Northwest
| Personnel: | Carol Miles |
| Cooperators: | |
| Keywords: | organic,on-farm,bamboo,variety trials,shoot,pole,Pacific Northwest,website,education,alternatives |
| Abstract: | In 1997 28 bamboo varieties were established at the Northcraft Farm, Tenino, WA. Research was expanded to WSU Puyallup in 1999 and to WSU Vancouver in 2000. at Northcraft Farm data on maximum plant height, plant spread and maximum diameter of culms was collected from 1998 t0 2002. The farm changed ownership in 2002 and the experiment halted as a result. Plants take at least five years to produce marketable shoots and poles. Therefore no evaluations of shoot flavor and quality or pole quality were made. In this study, 10 bamboo varieties appear well suited for pole and shoot production: P. congesta, P. bissetii, P. vivax, P. dulcis, P. megurochiko, P rubromarginata P. nigra henon, P. humulis, P. heteroclada ‘solid stem’ and P. heteroclada ‘water bamboo.’ The largest plants and the healthiest culms were produced by P. bissetii, P. congesta,, P. vivax and P. dulcis. Differences in rates of plant spread will be useful in determining plant spacing in the field for optimum ground coverage in a reasonable amount of time. Bamboo varieties that cover their allotted space rapidly will cost less for plant acquisition, since fewer plants are needed to fill a given space, and reduce the cost of labor for weed control in the longer term. In this study the variety with the greatest plant spread was P. humulis. Other varieties with large plant spread were P. heteroclada ‘water bamboo,’ P. bissetii and P. aurea. These are not replicated field plots so the information derived from them is observational, not a scientific conclusion. The other important issue to keep in mind is that even documented scientific conclusions are valid only for the specific environment in which the study was conducted. Caution should be used in adapting these results to other areas of the Pacific Northwest where conditions will be different. |
| Project description: | In 1997 28 bamboo varieties, 89 plants total, were established in 46 plots at the Northcraft Farm, Tenino, WA. Plots were 8’x 8’, with 8’ alleyways on all sides. Bamboo research was expanded to WSU Puyallup in 1999 and to WSU Vancouver in 2000. The Northcraft farm is organic so weed control was by hand cultivation, and dairy and chicken manure were applied to the plots as both fertilizer and mulch. Annual rainfall was the only source of water. In October 2002 maximum plant height, plant spread and maximum diameter of culms were measured and observations noted of general plant health. Culms were not large enough for harvest in 2002 so no evaluations were made of shoot flavor and quality, or of pole quality. In 2000 marketing brochures and recipe cards were developed to promote the sale and consumption of locally produced bamboo shoots. These were distributed at national workshops and conferences, and are available online to growers and the public. The web page Bamboo Suppliers http://agsyst.wsu.edu/bambiz.htm was updated in the summer of 2002. |
| Outputs: | http://agsyst.wsu.edu/bamboo.htm Project report http://vegetables.wsu.edu/BambooReport2002.pdf
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| Impact: | Farmers have the information necessary to produce bamboo shoots commercially in Washington.
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| Institution: | WSU |
| State: | WA |