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Foreword
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Root morphology and development in rattans. 3. Root system development in Calamus thwaitesii Becc. and Calamus rotang L. in relation to the physical properties of a degraded lateritic soil
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The suitability of any vegetation to a particular soil is greatly controlled by the establishment and proliferation of the root system in that soil, which in turn is decided by the nature and properties of the soil. As part of an attempt to introduce Calamus from natural forests to degraded lateritic soils of Kerala, this study was conducted to evaluate the root system development of two species of Calamus, viz., Calamus thwaitesii and C. rotang, grown in a degraded lateritic soil at Palappilly range in the Chalakkudy Forest Division of the State. Both species had been planted in plots of 90 m × 4.5 m size with a spacing of 1.5 m × 1.5 m. For collecting soil samples, five 3-year-old plants from each species were selected from the central row of each plot. Root parameters such as root length, rooting density, total root weight and fine root weight were determined in soil core samples collected from different depths (0-15 cm, 15-40 cm and 40-60 cm) and radial distances from the base of the plant (0 cm, 10 cm and 30 cm) at three randomly selected sampling points around a single plant. Various physical properties of these soil samples were determined using standard procedures and their relation with root parameters were determined. Results revealed that radial distance from the plant inversely affected the root growth in both the species especially within a soil depth of 0-60 cm rather than at different soil layers considered separately. Depth of soil also had an inverse relationship with root growth in both the species. Among the different soil physical properties, soil moisture and gravel were negatively correlated with all the root parameters while positive correlation was seen with sand. No definite relationship was observed with the bulk density in both the species.
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Growth and proliferation of bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus Roxb.) seedlings influenced by various growth regulators
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Growth and proliferation behaviour of bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus) seedlings was studied under varying concentrations of different growth regulators, i.e. cycocel, ethrel, GA3 and maleic hydrazide. Fresh and dry biomass were significantly increased with foliar spray of cycocel (100 mg/l), while maleic hydrazide (10 mg/l) was recorded most effective growth retardant. Ethrel (10 mg/l) promoted height of plants but had negative effect on the proliferation parameters. In the case of photosynthetic efficiency (chlorophyll fluorescence) GA3 (100 mg/l) promoted all fluorescence parameters over control except F0 but non-significantly, while cycocel (1000 mg/l) decreased all fluorescence parameters significantly except F0. Cycocel (100 mg/l), ethrel (1 mg/l) and maleic hydrazide (10 mg/l) also had negative effect on some chlorophyll fluorescence parameters.
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Benefit–cost analysis of bamboo in comparison with other crops in mixed cropping home gardens in Kerala State, India
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Bamboo (Bambusa bambos) is one among the crops in mixed cropping home gardens in Kerala State, India. A statistically designed survey was carried out in home gardens in two different agro-climatic zones in Kerala to analyse profitability of bamboo in comparison with seasonal-annual crops, perennial crops and tree crops. Benefit-cost analysis shows that bamboo has at least a second position in terms of profitability among the crop groups in home gardens in the two zones. The high benefit-cost ratio of bamboo was due to negligible inputs and high farm price of bamboo. Advantages due to the existence of an organised wholesale market near the study area and the efficiency of the bamboo depots there make bamboo growing in home gardens profitable. The high ratio reported for bamboo does not recommend for increasing the cultivation of bamboo at the cost of other crops. It shows that bamboo is profitable in home gardens in villages with market advantages.
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Bamboo-precocious wood composite beams: theoretical prediction of the bending behaviour
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A type of sandwich beam, consisting of thin bamboo facings and poplar core, is proposed by the author, in order to increase the use of abundant precocious woods by reinforcing with bamboo layers. The objectives of this study are the experimental characterization of the static bending behaviour of the proposed sandwich beam and examining the theoretical predictability of the behaviour. The moment-deflection curve, computed on the basis of the stress extension across the beam section, corresponded remarkably well to the actual curves from the experiments. This computation method, interpreting the mechanical contribution of the thin bamboo facings to the bending capacity improvement, can be considered effective to estimate the ultimate strength, as well as the elastic plastic deflection evolution of the sandwich beam.
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Morphology and genetic variation of manau rattan (Calamus manan, Miq.) in Sumatra, Indonesia
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Morphological and genetic variation of manau rattan (Calamus manan, Miq.) studies have been conducted in three provinces in Sumatra, Indonesia, i.e. in Bengkulu, in Jambi, and in West Sumatra Province. Distinctive variations such as the presence of vestigial flagellum and red colour of rachis, as opposed to no vestigial flagellum and the normal green colour of petiole and rachis, were noted in certain individuals in wild manau rattan populations, although the percentage was only 5-60%, depending on the sites. These variations, which were confirmed with isozyme analysis results, are based on 6 enzyme systems, i.e. PGD, PGI, MDH, IDH, PER and EST out of 10 systems analysed. The range of percentage of polymorphic loci was 66.67-76.67%. The highest genetic diversity (He = 0.34) was West Sumatra Province which was mainly contributed by the Siberut Island, followed by Jambi Province (He = 0.28). Based on a dendogram constructed, the relatedness and genetic distance between studied populations in Sumatra could also be determined.
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Briquetting of rattan furniture waste
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This paper presents the findings of a study involving experimental production of briquettes from chopped rattan strands mixed with cassava starch paste. Samples of rattan strands of mixed species (Laccosperma secundiforum and Eresmopatha macrocarpa) were collected from a furniture workshop in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The strands, having an average moisture content of 12% and an average dimension of 630 mm (length) by 4.0 mm (width) and 1.8 mm (thickness), were reduced to 25 mm (length) by 4.0 mm (width) and 1.8 mm (thickness) particles by manual shearing. They were subsequently mixed with cassava starch at six proportions by weight, i.e. 50%, 100%, 150%, 200%, 250%, and 300%. It was observed that the minimum proportion by weight of cassava starch required for briquette formation was 200%. Compression experiments were performed using a simple tabletop closed - end die piston press fitted with both a pressure and a dial gauge. Four levels of pressure application: 3.5 N/mm2, 7.0 N/mm2, 10 N/mm2 and 14 N/mm2, and two loading duration (dwell times), 3 min and 5 min, respectively were employed. Results obtained showed that the minimum pressure required for briquette formation was 14 MPa. The specific energy required to form the rattan strand briquettes at 200%, 250% and 300% cassava starch content levels was 8 J/t, 9.3 J/t and 11.1 J/t, respectively. A reciprocal relationship between binder content and relaxed density was observed. All the expansion (minimal in all cases) of the briquettes took place within 30 min. It was concluded that stable briquettes could be formed from rattan strands mixed with cassava starch paste.
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Socio-economic benefit of rattan: a case study in Nanchang village, Baoting county, Hainan province, P. R. China
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Rattans are climbing spiny plants that are regarded as an important kind of commercial non-timber forest products. A case study of the socio-economic benefit on the role of rattan in life was carried out in Nanchang village, Baoting county, Hainan province, P. R. China, to generate basic information and to provide some references for the program of anti-poverty. The 40 households with a total population of 217 all depend on agriculture. Each household owns forestland, varying in area from 0.67 to 2.67 ha. Forestland provides monetary income from rattan canes and fruits. The yield of rattan products fluctuates between years and households. On average, the income from rattan sales contributed about 66% to the total income in the village and provided more than 50% income for nearly all households during the three years of the study. It is believed that the development of rattan planting and improvement on management technique, together with the conditional access to the collection of rattan canes will not only increase the income of households but also help to alleviate the poverty in Nanchang village.
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Wettability of three Honduran bamboo species
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This study was initiated to determine the wettability of three Honduran bamboo species by contact-angle measurements. Static contact angles of urea formaldehyde (UF), phenol formaldehyde (PF), isocyanate (ISO) and distilled water on the bamboo surfaces were measured. The effects of bamboo species, layer (outer, middle and inner) and chemical treatment (hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide and distilled water) on the contact angle of bamboo surfaces were examined. The results showed that bamboo species had a significant effect on contact-angle values. Regarding the four adhesives, the contact angle of UF was significantly higher. The adhesives displayed the following mean contact-angle pattern: UF > PF > ISO > distilled water. The effect of the bamboo layer was also significant. The outer layer had the highest contact angle, followed by the inner layer and then the middle layer. With regards to the three chemical treatments, NaOH had the highest total mean contact-angle value.
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Effect of bamboo foliage on soil respiration, microbial biomass and N mineralization
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Microbial N, CO2 evolution rate and mineral-N dynamics were determined in soils collected beneath the canopy of two different bamboo species in a 9-year-old bamboo forest developed on an abandoned sloping agricultural land in a humid tropical zone of north-east India. A laboratory incubation study was set up to determine the dynamics of microbial biomass, soil respiration and N mineralization rates as influenced by addition of bamboo residues (leaves and scale leaves). Soil nutrients and microbial biomass C, N and P were greater in soils under Bambusa pallida as compared to B. balcooa. Lignin and N concentrations were greater in B. balcooa. Scale leaves had low lignin and N concentrations than the leaf litter. The litter quality, particularly lignin/N, influenced the dynamics of soil mineral-N and, therefore, on the net N mineralization rate. CO2 evolution rate in the soil had a negative relationship with the N mineralization rate, while the microbial N showed weaker correlations with the dynamics of the mineral N. Overall, amendments using the sclerophyllous and slow decomposing foliage did not contribute to the increasing N mineralization in the soils. The study also suggests that soil management practices in bamboo forests should take into account incorporation of residues of good quality, probably of other plant species, failing which, soil quality may deteriorate over a long term that would be critical in productivity and nutrient cycling of secondary bamboo forests regenerating on nutrient-poor, fragile and marginal fallow agricultural lands.
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