Carbon Xchange

Creating Sustainable Agriculture

introduction to bamboo

Bamboo is a giant grass, belonging to the same family as rice, wheat, cereals and sugar cane. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant unmatched by any other plant in nature. Some species of bamboo can reach 40 meters in height in only a few months time. There are some species which can grow faster than 1 meter per day. Bamboo is a very hardy plant and can be easily propagated.

BAMBUSA BEECHEYANA

In South East Asia, Bambusa beecheyana is the bamboo specie commonly chosen as a commercial crop due to its unique advantage and resource for human food, animal feed, paper, timber related products and much more.

Bambusa beecheyana is endemic to Myanmar and was introduced to Thailand as a commercial crop in the late 1970’s and in the mid 1980’s, it became a specie which gained popularity among rural farmers for its commercial value.

In the mid 2006, Bambusa beecheyana popularity spread to Indonesia where it was introduced for planting into bamboo plantations. Similarly, it was introduced to Malaysia in 2008. Today, Bambusa beecheyana is grown in large scale in Laos and Cambodia.

One of the major advantages of Bambusa Beecheyana is the regeneration quality of the clump. Unlike most tropical clumping bamboo, of which the culms cannot be harvested when it is too young, it will affect the regeneration of the clump.

Bambusa beecheyana culm can be harvested 12 months after planting. This makes this specie of bamboo an ideal resource for human food and animal feed. When the bamboo reaches its 6th year, the culms are an invaluable resource for timber related products. The versatile culms age usage, makes this bamboo specie ideal for commercial use among rural farmers.