Bamboo FAQs

1. What is Bamboo?
   Ans: Bamboo is a woody grass.
2. Total number of species of bamboo in world?
   Ans: There are total 100 genera and above 1400 species of bamboo in the world. .(Source: www.bambuseto.it/en/bamboo/the-plant)
3. Total number of species of bamboo in India?
   Ans: There are 18 genera and 127 species in India. (nbm.nic.in/Achievement/Handbook%20on%20Bamboo.pdf)
4. Methods to propagate bamboo?
   Ans: (i)Rhizome,(ii)Shoots and (iii)Seeds
5. What are the uses of bamboo?
   Ans: Bamboo is used for making artifacts, furniture's, charcoal, engineered material, construction material, fabric, automobile interiors, electronics, flooring, sports goods, food products, Medicine    etc. (for more: http://www.guaduabamboo.com/uses/products-made-from-bamboo)
6. Is any part of bamboo edible?
   Ans: Yes, the shoots and rhizomes are edible.
7. Which country is the leading producer of bamboo?
   Ans: China.
8. Which country is the largest importer of Bamboo?
   Ans: USA.
9. Which country is the largest exporter of Bamboo?
   Ans: China.
10.  What is the total area of bamboo cover in India?
    Ans: 12.8% of total forest area (9.57 Million Hectares)
11.  Which is the largest bamboo producer state in India?
    Ans: Assam.
12.  When bamboo plantation should be done?
    Ans: Between February and March.
13.  When bamboo should be harvested?
    Ans: In the month of June and July.
14.  What should be done after harvesting bamboo?
    Ans: Trenching must be done after harvesting.
15.  What is bamboo treatment? What are the methods?
    Ans: It is a method to improve durability of bamboo. The methods are Leaching, Chemical Treatment and drying bamboo poles.
16.  What is the life of untreated bamboo?
    Ans: It is less than 2 years. (read more on http://www.guaduabamboo.com/uses/products-made-from-bamboo)
17.  What is the life of treated bamboo?
    Ans: Life of bamboo basically depends on type of treatment. For e.g. a simple sap displacement technique enhances bamboo life by 4-5 times (http://iwst.icfre.gov.in/technologies/2SDT.pdf)
18.  Why bamboo is more eco friendly?
    Ans: Because it is a fast growing species helpful in reducing environmental footprint and sequesters more carbon in less time.
19.  How does bamboo reduce carbon footprint?
    Ans: By sequestering more carbon in shorter duration as compared to other species like teak.
20.  Which is most common bamboo species in India?
    Ans: Dendrocalamus strictus
21.  What is the harvesting cycle of bamboo?
    Ans: Four years.
22.  What are the types of flowering of bamboo?
    Ans: (i)Sporadic Flowering (ii) Gregarious Flowering.
23.  Why dried bamboo should be removed immediately?
    Ans: As it can cause forest fire.
24.  What is twisting of bamboo?
    Ans: It is bending of bamboo and disfigurement of shape (not straight or vertical).
25.  Why does twisting happen?
    Ans: Due to congestion in the clumps.
26.  What is single bamboo called?
    Ans: Culm.
27.  What is bunch of bamboos called?
    Ans: Clump.
28.  Why is it important to clean bamboo debris?
    Ans: Because it can hinder the growth of new shoots.
29.  What are the advantages of growing bamboo?
    Ans: It is a fast growing species, drought tolerant and can be grown on most types of soil.
30.  What are different names of bamboo?
    Ans: Poor man’s timber, Green gold
31.  What is monopodial bamboo? Give an example?
    Ans: The bamboo which does not grow in clumps, i.e. it grows as a single plant. Eg. Common Chinese Bamboo (Pleioblastus amarus)
32.  What type of soil is suitable for bamboo?
    Ans:  Sandy soil (ph:5.5 to 6.5) (http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/forestry/forestry_faq_bamboo.html)
33.  What is the most suitable climate for bamboo?
    Ans: As other grass, bamboo can grow in any climate, but it mostly likes 4-5 hours of sunlight and a good amount of water.
34.  Which species of bamboo is preferred to make handicrafts?
    Ans: Dendrocalamus strictus, Bambusa arundnacea
35.  What is the major disease causing agents in bamboo?
    Ans: Bamboo borer
36.  What are the highest yielding species of bamboo?
    Ans: Dendrocalamus strictus, Bambusa arundnacea
37.  Which bamboo is the thickest in size?
    Ans: Dendrocalamus giganteus
38. What are the other names for the thickest bamboo?
    Ans:  Giant Bamboo, Dragon Bamboo
39.  Which climate area is suitable for giant bamboo?
    Ans: Tropical and subtropical areas
40.  Which is the non hollow species of bamboo?
    Ans: Bambusa arundnacea
41.  When was thornless bamboo introduced?
    Ans: In 1995
42.  What is the tensile strength of bamboo?
    Ans: 300-500 Mpa(Mega Pascal)
43.  By how much the tensile +strength of bamboo is more than steel?
    Ans: 3 to 4 times as high as steel. (Paper on “A Study on the Mechanical Strength Properties of Bamboo to Enhance Its Diversification on Its Utilization” by T. Gutu)
44.  Name the Indian state which doesn’t have bamboo.
    Ans: Jammu and Kashmir
45.  Name the state which has largest area under bamboo.
    Ans: Madhya Pradesh
46.  What amount of bamboo resource of world does India has?
    Ans: India has world’s 20% of bamboo resources.
47.  What is bamboo splitting?
    Ans: If the bamboo is not sliced properly it will lead to bamboo splitting. Also dried bamboo can split if it is not treated.  Also splitting of bamboo is deliberately done to make incense sticks or icecream sticks.
48.  What medicinal component is present in bamboo? What is its use?
    Ans: The medicinal component in Bamboo is Dabacir/ Banstocen.( http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/)  It is used for treating infections and healing.
49.  What are the uses of bamboo in construction?
    Ans:  Scaffoldings, roofing, walling etc. (for more: http://www.tn.gov.in/tsunami/digitallibrary/ebooks-web/36%20Bamboo_%20A_%20Material_%20For_%20Cost_%20eff.pdf)
50.  How deep do the bamboo roots grow?
    Ans: The roots can go deep upto  2-30 feet.
51.  From where does National Bamboo Mission get sponsorship?
    Ans: Central government.
52.  Name one organization involved in bamboo globally?
    Ans: INBAR (International Network for Bamboo and Rattan)
53.  How many genera and species are indigenous and exotic in India?
    Ans: Out of 23 genera 19 are indigenous and rests are exotic. Out of 128 species 87 are indigenous and rests are exotic. (http://nbm.nic.in/Achievement/Handbook%20on%20Bamboo.pdf)
54.  Is lucky bamboo a bamboo species?
    Ans: No, lucky bamboo (Dracenia sanderiana) is not a bamboo, it belongs to lily family.
55.  What is the total bamboo cover all over the world?
    Ans: More than 36 million hectares worldwide or an average of 3.2 percent of the total forest area (ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a1243e/a1243e03.pdf)
56.  What properties of bamboo that should be checked which are important for its various uses?
    Ans: Culm Length, culm wall thickness, internode length, internode diameter, initial moisture content, basic density etc.( http://www.fornis.net/)
57.  Which state has maximum bamboo under private lands?
    Ans: Assam
58.  What can be the social aspects of bamboo?
    Ans: Bamboo industries (small as well as large scale) can help in employment generation, poverty alleviation, women empowerment etc. (http://www.fao.org/)
59.  What are the economic aspects of bamboo?
    Ans: Bamboo can be used for agro forestry which can help farmers generate more income, plantation and management of bamboo is cheaper than other trees, it can be harvested after 4 to 5 year having shorter rotation period, there is a huge demand and supply gap in bamboo sector which can be decreased by creating employment and fulfilling the existing demands.
60.  What are the basic types of Bamboo?
    Ans: Two types: Clumping bamboo and Running bamboo
61.  Can bamboo be grown in swampy or wet areas?
    Ans: No, bamboo needs water but not standing water, the water should be drained for its proper growth.
62.  What is the average density of bamboo?
    Ans: The density of bamboo varies from 500 to 800 kg/m3. (BAMBOO PRESERVATlON TECHNlQUES : A REVIEW-by Satish Kumar, KS Shukla ,Tndra Dev, PB )
63.  What is the moisture content in green bamboo?
    Ans: It can be upto 150%, which reduces after drying.
64.  Upto what extent bamboo shrinks on drying?
    Ans: 10-16% in diameter and 15-17% in wall thickness.
65.  What type of strength does bamboo possess? And at what age it is maximum?
    Ans: Bamboo possesses excellent tensile strength and it is maximum at the age 2.5 to 4 years. After that it reduces.
66.  Name the bamboo species which has both types of flowering? Where is it found in India?
    Ans: Bambusa nutans, it is found in NE states, Odisha and West Bengal.
67.  Name a few species which has sporadic flowering.
    Ans: Bambusa vulgaris, Bambusa pallid etc.
68.  Name the species which sporadically flowers every year.
    Ans: Dendrocalamus strictus, Dendrocalamus hamiltonii etc. (for more info: http://nbm.nic.in/Achievement/Handbook%20on%20Bamboo.pdf)
69.  What are bamboo rhizomes?
    Ans: Rhizomes are underground stems of bamboo.
70.  Which part of bamboo is used for making pickles?
    Ans: Rhizomes
71.  What is carbonized bamboo?
    Ans: It is the bamboo treated under steam and high pressure. It makes bamboo dark in color and increases softness.
72.  What are the uses of carbonized bamboo?
    Ans: It is used in flooring and furniture.
73.  What are running bamboo?
    Ans:  Running bamboo spread very fast through their roots and rhizomes. It spreads widely underground and generate new culms come up on surface.  It is also known as Monopodial Bamboo.
74.  What are clumping bamboo?
    Ans: These types of bamboos spread slowly and the rhizomes increase root mass gradually. It is also known as Sympodial Bamboo.
75.  Can bamboo grow indoors?
    Ans: Most bamboo doesn’t like the dry air indoor environments provide; still, some will grow fairly well.
76.  Does bamboo shed a lot?
    Ans: Bamboo will drop a few leaves gradually throughout the season, but never all at once like deciduous trees.
77.  How deep do the roots go?
    Ans: Bamboo roots are thin and fibrous (think big grass roots) and can go down 2-3 feet.
78.  Is bamboo planting sustainable?
    Ans: Yes, it is a fast renewable growing species, it also requires less water.
79.  What do the size letters mean (A, B, C, D)?
    Ans: In small ground cover bamboos the letters roughly relate to 1, 2, 3 and 5 gallon trade sizes.
    In large size bamboos:
    A = 6 to 8 inch root ball with a 4 to 12 inch culm.
    B = 8 to 10 inch root ball with a 12 to 36 inch culm.
    C = 10 to 12 inch root ball with a 4 to 6 foot culm.
    D = 10 to 14 inch root ball with a 10 to 12 foot culm.
80. What is hardwood flooring?
    Ans: hardwood flooring is done with timber. It is expensive, and the timber requires a lot of time to grow so its not sustainable
81. What is bamboo flooring?
    Ans: Bamboo flooring is an environmentally friendly product. Bamboo is actually harder than many other species so it makes more durable flooring, also it is less expensive.
82. What kind of fertilizer do you use?
    Ans: For bamboo in the ground, organic fertilizer, such as mushroom compost, aged horse manure, fish meal, feather meal, or blood meal are all good options. For a commercial fertilizer that can be broadcast on top, and for bamboo in pots, we use a slow-release turf fertilizer
83. Can metal be used as a bamboo barrier?
    Ans: It’s a little better choice than cement, but metal conducts heat and cold, which means it will bake the bamboo roots in the summer and freeze them in the winter, which will hurt the bamboo; it also can rust and leach chemicals
84. Is bamboo drought tolerant?
    Ans: Clumpers are more drought tolerant than runners because they root fairly deep, but runners have higher tolerance of dry, hot air. In particular, Semiarundinaria fastuosa, Phyllostachys decora, P. aurea, and P. glauca ‘Yunzhu’ are very tolerant of dry, desert climates.
85. Is bamboo harmful to pets?
    Ans: No. Animals will often chew on it, but the leaves are actually rather nutritious and totally non-toxic.
86. How much water does bamboo require?
    Ans: Ideally, about an inch a week, the same as a law (in 1-3 applications per week). In many climates, after the bamboo has been in the ground for 3-5 years, water is no longer necessary for survival.
87. What kinds of pests and diseases can bamboo get?
    Ans: Bamboo is usually pest-free; however some species are prone to aphids. There is also a bamboo mite, an import from Asia that can damage the leaves. However, as the mite is not native and is spread only by bamboo-to-bamboo contact, as long as your bamboo doesn’t have them and your neighbor’s bamboo doesn’t have them, odds are you’ll never have any problems. Both of these issues are usually more cosmetic than a real threat to the plant.
88. Which bamboo has the strongest wood?
    Ans: Phyllostachys edulis is usually used for flooring and scaffolding; P. bambusoides is used for furniture and instruments (as it is both strong and flexible), and Guadua angustifolia is used for building construction. P. nigra ‘Henon’ and P. atrovaginata also have strong wood and straight canes.
89. Which Clumping Bamboos is fully sun tolerant?
    Ans: Most hardy clumpers are shade loving plants, but there are a few that can tolerate more sun than others. Thamnocalamus tesselatus actually flourishes in full in in the PNW, but may require some shade if grown in an area that commonly has high humidity in the summer
90. What are the benefits of bamboo flooring?
    Ans: Bamboo flooring is rapidly becoming one of the most popular types of residential flooring. Here are a few reasons why you should choose a bamboo floor:
    •   Bamboo floors are easy to clean.
    •   Bamboo floors are ideal for allergy sufferers as they do not promote dust or harbor dust mites.
    •   Bamboo flooring is an inexpensive alternative to hardwood flooring, usually costing 25% to 50% less than hardwood.
    •   Bamboo flooring is long-lasting. The laminate floors sold by BuildDirect come with 10-year and 25-year warranties.
    “What is the difference between “horizontal” and “vertical” bamboo flooring?
    Ans:  The terms “horizontal” and “vertical” refer to the manner in which bamboo strips are laminated together. In the horizontal style, the strips are laid flat so the top surface shows the bamboo’s natural growth rings, or “knuckles.” In the vertical style, the strips are turned on their sides and laminated together in long, slender rows creating a different appearance.
91. Carbonized  bamboo flooring stained?
    Ans: No. Carbonized bamboo is darker in color because it has undergone a change, not a stain. During the manufacturing of the product, the strips of bamboo are boiled and change color (becoming browner in tone). This process also softens the material.
92. Can bamboo hedge be grown?
    Ans:  yes, bamboo has traditionally been utilized to create screens and hedge, and even windbreaks.
93. Why is it important to prune bamboo?
    Ans: bamboo pruning is done in order to increase its growth, it is generally done after 1 year  when bamboo starts to leaf out.
94. What is the objective of National Bamboo Mission?
    Ans: To promote the growth of the bamboo sector and to promote marketing of bamboo based handicraft.( http://nbm.nic.in/objecte.html)
95. How the bamboo is propagated?
    Ans: Bamboo can be propagated by
    Seedling
    Suckers
    Clumps
96. What is the water requirement during summer season?
    Ans: 25-30 litters
97. What is the germination % of bamboo seeds?
    Ans: 60 -80 %
98. Name the varieties used for sandy soil, red soil and laterite soil?
    Ans:  Dendrocalamus strictus, Bambusa bambos.
99. Are bamboo and rattan (cane) the same?
    Ans : No, bamboo and rattan belong to separate botanical family and they have separate properties.
100. What is a bamboo shoot?
     Ans: A bamboo shoot is a young Culm harvested at the time, or shortly after  it appears above the soil surface for consumption purpose, as it is rich in nutrients and fibers.
101. Animals which depends on bamboo?
     Ans: Many animals like Giant Panda, Red Panda , lesser Bamboo Lemur, Mountain Gorilla and south china bamboo bat.
102. Why bamboo dies after flowering?
     Ans: The energy exerted by bamboo plants is tremendously high that they can't recover back, hence they die.
103. Is transit pass required for bamboo in MP?
     Ans: Transit Pass is required only for Dendrocalamus strictus  in MP, not applicable to other species.
104. How many bamboo species are available in MP?
     Ans: The predominant species of bamboo in Madhya Pradesh are Dendrocalamus strictus—called ‘desi bans’, found in nearly 80% of natural forests, and Bambusa bambos—called ‘katang bans’ and found in 80% of private bamboo clumps. Other species include Bambusa vulgaris var. striata, Cephalastachym pergracile, Gigantochloa rostrata, Schizostachyum pergracile, Bambusa tulda, Bambusa polymorpha, Bambusa nutans, Dendrocalamus asper, Bambusa balcooa and Melocanna baccifera.
105. Areas in which MPSBM can help ?
     Ans: MPSBM focus on four major areas:
     Bamboo Production in natural and private lands
     Under this, farmers can take benefit of Kisan Baans Yojana wherein they can avail 10 bamboo saplings from the respective forest division office of MP. The plantation will be carried out under the supervision of MP Forest department with all necessary technical assistance.
     (hyperlink; Kisan Bans Yojna)
     Capacity building of bamboo artisans, entrepreneurs, other stakeholders
     Several training programmes are organized in different divisions of MP in fields like bamboo furniture, bamboo jewellery, office utility items, etc.
     Bamboo slogan, Painting, drawing competitions are also organized  for schools, colleges.
     For organizing trainings, NGOs are also empanelled.
     (Hyperlink : ToR )
     Marketing and Extension
     Online Registration is being carried out with the help of MP Online. Bamboo artisans, farmers, entrepreneurs can register themselves at the nearest MP Online kiosk.
     Bamboo Marts are being organized in different districts of MP. Bamboo artisans can participate and sell their products. They can communicate on our contact number.
     Bamboo Emporium is there in Bhopal Haat, Jail Road, opp DB City Mall wherein artisans or bamboo entrepreneurs can sell their products. MPSBM will pay 50% of the cost directly on purchase of the item and remaining 50% after the item is sold out.
     Other incentives
     MP State Bans Mitra Awards are distributed yearly to those who have performed excellence in bamboo sector or performed some innovation in MP. The stakeholders can apply for the award by sending us mail at www.mpbamboomission.org
106. I am a farmer who wish to plant bamboo in my farmland, from where can I collect bamboo saplings?
     Ans: For bamboo sapling, you can communicate with MP State Bamboo Mission. We will try our best to provide you the saplings from the concerned nursery or else we will provide you with the contact details of the supplier
     For Tissue Culture saplings of Beema Bamboo you can communicate with Dr N. Barathi, Director, Growmore Biotech Ltd, Husur, Tamil Nadu. 
107. How many uses of bamboo are there?
     Ans: There are nearly 2000 applications of bamboo.
108. What are the schemes of MPSBM?
     Ans: MPSBM has formulated Kisan bans Yojana for promoting bamboo outside forest land and making it a remunerative business for farmers.
     Does bamboo create any socio- economic significance in life of rural India?
     Ans: Bamboo also forms an important forest produce with high significance in socio-economic life of rural MP. Harvesting of bamboo from natural forests generates every year employment of about 2.25 million man days equal to Rs.112.5 million wage earning. One hectare of bamboo plantation can produce 200 man days of employment and 900 man days in cottage industry with the raw material from this plantation.
109. Are bamboos  good tool for alleviating poverty in MP?
     Ans: In Madhya Pradesh, there are two main consumers of bamboo, namely, basod (bamboo artisans) and nistar (usufruct for farmers). The total domestic requirement of bamboo by the villagers including basods has been estimated to be 1870 lakh. If the actual demand for basods or nistar can be met, for example if basods are provided with 908 bamboos per family (average demand) or 1500 bamboo per family as per Nistar policy then 51.42% and 77.38% family would go above poverty line respectively. Similarly for, Nistar, if supply of bamboo could be increased to 167 (actual demand) or to 250 bamboos per family, which is the quantity as per nistar policy, the percentage of families who are living below poverty line will change from 72% to 69% and 66% respectively.
     (Source for q-105-111: Primary Survey results, Paper by P.B. Gangopadhyay; 0757-A1; XII World forestry Congress,2003