Influence of Bud Position on Mother Stem And Soaking Duration on Sprouting of Bamboo Cuttings

Abstract

Bamboo is one of the fastest growing and highest yielding renewable natural resources with multiple uses in the world. It is used to make furniture, charcoal, food, control soil erosion and can assist in carbon sequestration. The increasing rate of tropical deforestation calls for search for alternative natural resources and the characteristics of bamboo make it a perfect choice. The major constraint in the use of bamboo is the lack of an efficient propagation method. The objective of this study wase to establish an efficient propagation method and to evaluate the adaptability of different bamboo varieties, to Nyungwe National Park (NNP) and the surrounding zones.The trial was conducted in Nyaruguru District, Ruheru Sector bordering Nyungwe National. Basal, middle and apical cuttings were harvested from three bamboo species (Bambusa vulgaris, Arundinaria alpina and an unknown native bamboo growing naturally in the Nyungwe forests). Results of the trial indicated that the three species were not significantly different in terms of stem diameter. However, the number of sprouts that emerged from cuttings differed with species: Bambusa vulgaris producing 22.2 sprouts, Arundinaria alpina 18.1 and the native bamboo producing 15.0 sprouts. On the other hand, the native bamboo had a mean height of 54.0 cm, while Bambusa vulgaris 36.6 and Arundinaria alpina had 30.8 cm..The soaking treatments did not have significant difference on all the parameters evaluated. This reproducible protocol opens new prospects for propagation of bamboo and will go a long way in alleviating the shortage of planting materials and exploiting the enormous potential of bamboo in Rwanda.