Bamboo Industry Research Articles

Surface runoff and nitrogen (N) loss in a bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forest under different fertilization regimes

Nitrogen (N) losses from agricultural fields have been extensively studied. In contrast, surface runoff and N losses have rarely been considered for bamboo forests that are widespread in regions such as southern China. The thriving of bamboo industries has led to increasing fertilizer use in bamboo forests. In this study, we evaluated surface runoff and N losses in runoff following different fertilization treatments under field conditions in a bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forest in the catchment of Lake Taihu in Jiangsu, China. Under three different fertilization regimes, i.e., control, site-specific nutrient management (SSNM), and farmer's fertilization practice (FFP), the water runoff rate amounted to 356, 361, and 342 m(3) ha(-1) and accounted for 1.91, 1.98, and 1.85% of the water input, respectively, from June 2009 to May 2010. The total N losses via surface runoff ranged from 1.2 to 1.8 kg ha(-1). Compared with FFP, the SSNM treatment reduced total nitrogen (TN) and dissolved nitrogen (DN) losses by 31 and 34%, respectively. The results also showed that variations in N losses depended mainly on runoff fluxes, not N concentrations. Runoff samples collected from all treatments throughout the year showed TN concentrations greater than 0.35 mg L(-1), with the mean TN concentration in the runoff from the FFP treatment reaching 8.97 mg L(-1). The loss of NO3(-)-N was greater than the loss of NH4(+)-N. The total loss of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) reached 23-41% of the corresponding DN. Therefore, DON is likely the main N species in runoff from bamboo forests and should be emphasized in the assessment and management of N losses in bamboo forest.

Combined Fenton–SBR process for bamboo industry wastewater treatment

Bamboo industry wastewater (BIWW) degradation is difficult because of its high organic matter content and low biodegradability. In this study, the Fenton process was coupled to a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for the treatment of BIWW. The Taguchi method was used to optimize the Fenton process for partial mineralization (TOC removal) and biodegradability (BOD5/COD ratio) enhancement. The optimum dosages at pH 4.0 were determined to be 52.9mM H2O2 and 7.9mM Fe(II). At the biological stage, the effect of anoxic–aerobic durations was evaluated. The best resulting operation mode was 4h for the anoxic phase and 6h for the aerobic phase. During this operation mode, a global chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of more than 89% was achieved, along with nearly complete nitrification and decolorization. The effect of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) on SBR performance was also studied. Generally, effluents with HRTs of more than 1.5d met China’s second grade national discharge standard. Major organic compounds were identified with Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometer (GC–MS). Most of the benzene and ester derivatives were completely eliminated following the Fenton–SBR process. However, amide and alkane derivatives were generated mainly as by-products from the different stages of the combined treatment.

Ozonation as an advanced oxidant in treatment of bamboo industry wastewater

The present study employed ozonation process to treat the bamboo industry wastewater (BIWW). The impact of ozone dosage and initial organic concentration on color, COD and TOC removal rates were studied along with characterization of the major organics in raw and treated wastewater. The results suggested the ozone dosage of 3.15gh−1 (concentration 52.5mgL−1) was suitable for the treatment. After 25min ozonation of 1L raw wastewater, the color, COD and TOC removal efficiencies were 95%, 56% and 40%, respectively, with an influent COD concentration of 835mgL−1. The ratio of kg O3 kg−1 COD at 3.15gh−1 was 2.8 (<3), revealing that ozonation was a cost effective process for tertiary treatment of BIWW. Longer oxidization time was required to achieve similar results for raw wastewater with higher COD concentration. The chromatogram from gel permeation chromatography revealed that ozonation resulted in the breakdown of high molecular weight compounds into lower molecular weight components but could not completely mineralize the organic matter. The majority of these compounds were identified in both raw and ozonated samples via GC–MS analysis. In addition to ester derivatives as the main intermediates of ozonation, 1-chloroctadecane, methyl stearate, benzophenone and α-cyperone were identified as the by-products of ozonation.

Inhibitory effects of Cu (II) on fermentative methane production using bamboo wastewater as substrate

The toxic effects of Cu (II) present in bamboo industry wastewater (BIWW) upon its anaerobic biodegradability of organic content were investigated. The analysis through the Modified Gompertz model indicated that the optimum chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration for digestion was 22,780 mg L −1 with a maximum R m (maximum CH 4 production rate) value of 2.8 mL h −1, corresponding to a specific methanogenic activity (SMA) of 2.38 mLCH 4 gVSS −1 h −1. The inhibitory effects of Cu (II) on cumulative methane production depended on its concentration and contact time. Low concentrations (5 mg L −1) of Cu (II) showed a stimulating effect on methanogenesis. Methane was not detected when the Cu (II) concentration was increased beyond 300 mg L −1. The IC 50 value of Cu (II), the Cu (II) concentration that causes a 50% reduction in the cumulative methane production, was 18.32 mg L −1 (15.9 mg Cu (II) gVSS −1).

Review, Current Status, and Prospects of the Bamboo Industry in Taiwan

Bamboo offers local people a variety of products for daily needs, and helps protect habitats in Taiwan. In the 1960~1980s, bamboo-related processing industries in Taiwan reached a maximum output value of US$ 44.7 million and greatly contributed to economic improvements for bamboo farmers, local communities, and governments. But these industries have been in decline for a long time due to surging labor costs and high competition from cheaper imported products from other Asian countries. For Taiwanese agricultural authorities, how to promote the amount of bamboo utilization to maintain the health of indigenous bamboo forest resources, and how to allow the bamboo processing industry and bamboo production to prosper again are important issues in making strategy. This paper first reviews the development history of the bamboo-processing industry in Taiwan, so that one can know the contributions and importance of the numerous ways that bamboo was utilized by local people in bygone years, then describes the current status of this industry and how programs for promoting bamboo utilization have been successfully carried out by the agricultural authorities. Finally, the paper mentions several beneficial coordinated programs in cooperation with other related governmental agencies to upgrade the bamboo industry in Taiwan and the prospects for the potential development of bamboo utilization including high value-added fine bamboo craft products, bamboo pyrolytic oil production, and bamboo pellet manufacture.

Emergy Synthesis for Three Main Industries in Wuyishan City, China

Emergy synthesis is an objective method for evaluating the resource consumption by industrial development and the resulting environmental impacts. In this study, we apply emergy synthesis to account for the energy and material flows of three main industries in China's Wuyishan City, i.e. the tourism, tea, and bamboo industries. We calculate seven indices: renewable input ratio, emergy self-support ratio, emergy investment ratio, emergy density, emergy money ratio, emergy yield ratio, and environmental loading ratio. The results show that the continuous development of tourism industry is mainly resulted from the increase in its purchased resources, the tea industry’s development has been relatively stable, and the bamboo industry depends greatly on non-renewable resources but has considerable development potential. The results suggest that tourism is the most environment-friendly one. Based on our analysis, we propose two sustainable development strategies: the promotion of intercropping in tea and bamboo plantations and the development of an advanced value-added bamboo production chain.

Sustainable Development for Bamboo Industry in Anji, Zhejiang Province of China

Sustainable Development for Bamboo Industry in Anji, Zhejiang Province of China

Towards A Sustainable Development Of The Bamboo Industry In Ghana

The potential role of bamboo is underscored in Ghana. This paper aims at highlighting the potential for sustainable use of bamboo in national development in Ghana. Information on sources, potential and perceived uses of bamboo as well as constraints in the bamboo sector were obtained through structured questionnaire and semi-structured interviews from locations spreading across all major ecological zones of Ghana. Results indicate availability of bamboo on community lands, farmlands, fallow fields and forest reserves and that its economic use is more pronounced in the Southern part of the country. Key challenges facing the bamboo industry that need consideration for its effective development revolve around the need for improvedfast growing quality bamboo resources and development of effective sustainable management and harvesting techniques in natural stands. Efficient processing and preservation techniques are also major areas of concern as well as product development and promotion. To improve the bamboo sector and ensure its competitiveness as an alternative source of wood and a sustainable enterprise, a comprehensive policy is required to put in place relevant interventions. Key interventions must include regulations for extraction of bamboo and support for relevant research institutions to improve resource quality and quantity as well as product quality. The capacity of large and small scale entrepreneurs must be enhanced for improved value addition and marketing of products.Keywords: Bamboo sector development, bamboo production-to-consumption systems, non-timber forest products

Invasion pathway and potential risks of a bamboo-nesting carpenter bee, Xylocopa tranquebarorum (Hymenoptera: Apidae), and its micro-associated mite introduced into Japan

Despite plant quarantine systems, many organisms have been unintentionally introduced by the rapid expansion of international trade. Xylocopa tranquebarorum, a large species of carpenter bee that nests in bamboo shoots, was introduced into Japan approximately 5 years ago and, along with its specifically associated mite, has established populations in Toyota and Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture and Anpachi in Gifu Prefecture. Because X. tranquebarorum only nests in dead bamboo shoots and because its associated mite differs from the mite species associated with X. tranquebarorum in Taiwan but is morphologically similar to the species described in India, Indonesia, and China, we suspect that X. tranquebarorum and its mite were introduced via processed bamboo shoots from continental Asia. Because the most probable pathway of associated microorganisms is host introduction, biological and ecological information, such as an inventory of symbionts, is crucial to avoid the risk of invasive symbiotic microorganisms. Although X. tranquebarorum may become a pest in the bamboo industry if its distribution is expanded by human transport, its associated mite is suspected to be of low risk as house dust but to have a high contamination risk for the Japanese endemic mite, Sennertia alfkeni, associated with native Japanese carpenter bees.

Effects of ultraviolet irradiation treatment on the surface properties and adhesion of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens)

The poor adhesion of bamboo coatings is a serious issue in the bamboo industry. To overcome this problem it is necessary to modify the actual surface of the bamboo before finishing. A study on the surface properties and adhesion of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) were investigated with various UV irradiation conditions including irradiation time and dose using different UV lamps. Two types of wood coatings, i.e., solvent-borne nitrocellulose (NC) lacquer and waterborne polyurethane (PU) coating, were used in the study, and 180° peel strength and shear strength tests for measuring adhesion of films were conducted. The results revealed that the wettability and the carbonyl group concentration of the bamboo surface were increased. This was particularly apparent for an irradiation time less than 15 s with a mercury UV lamp (H-lamp), rated at an intensity of 100 W/cm kept at a distance of 15 cm. In all the treatments, the greenish appearance of moso bamboo was retained and the adhesion was improved. Especially, using solvent-borne NC lacquer finishing, the higher-dose (under a mercury UV lamp combined with metal halide lamp; H + M-lamps) irradiated bamboo had the best adhesion, while, for waterborne PU coating, the H-lamp irradiated one showed the best improvement. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008

Spatial patterns and processes of bamboo expansion in Southern China

This paper analyzes the spatial distribution and patterns of land use change associated with expansion of bamboo production in three important bamboo-producing counties (Anji, Pingjiang and Muchuan) along a development gradient in China. Existing and new bamboo plantations tend to be located at higher elevation and on sloping lands around formerly established plantations, with different patterns of expansion related to the level of development of the bamboo industry and general economic development in the county. Distance to factory is more important for low value-added products where raw material represents a high percentage of production costs.

New bamboo industries and pro-poor impact: learning from China

Interventions in rural supply chains and sectors have the potential to alleviate poverty and achieve economic development if they are able to achieve sustained growth over the medium to longer term horizon. But how might we identify which sectors offer the best potential for poverty impacts? How might we achieve the goal of scaled impacts across multiple supply chains? This article suggests that sector development opportunities in a liberalized market depend upon three critical factors: 1) outlook, segmentation and scale of demand, 2) local production-side competitiveness to gain and sustain market share, and 3) the nature and distribution of resulting impacts for the poor primarily through demand created for farm products and labour. The paper presents a worked example of the bamboo sector potential in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Opportunities and challenges across the three sub-sectors of industrial bamboo, handicrafts, and bamboos shoots are clarified, and the importance of benchmarking is borne out. The article concludes that on a strategic horizon, these countries can develop bamboo supply chains to compete and gain market share in a growing regional and global market currently dominated by China. This growth, if supported by appropriate policy and intervention, has the potential for scaled benefits to the poor and therefore high returns for donors, development actors and governments investing in poverty reduction.

New bamboo industries and pro-poor impact: learning from China

New bamboo industries and pro-poor impact: learning from China

Effects of hydrogen peroxide treatment on the surface properties and adhesion of ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus)

The poor adhesion of bamboo coatings is a serious issue in the bamboo industry. To develop a pretreatment method that improves the adhesion of films and increases the economic value of bamboo products, a study of hydrogen peroxide treatment with solutions of various pH (pH 4–9) on bamboo surfaces was conducted. Five-year-old ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro), and nitrocellulose lacquer were used in the study. Surface properties of the bamboo such as contact angle and color were evaluated, and 180° peel strength and shear strength tests for measuring adhesion of films were conducted. The results showed that the wettability of water droplets and the carbonyl group concentration on the bamboo surface were increased significantly by alkaline (pH 8 and 9) hydrogen peroxide treatments. There was only minor color variation and the outer wax layer of bamboo was etched to form additional recesses after hydrogen peroxide treatment. It was also found that all hydrogen peroxide treatments improved the adhesion of bamboo coating; bamboo treated with hydrogen peroxide at pH 7 showed the greatest improvement. The enhanced adhesion was attributed to the mechanical interlocking of the film on the treated bamboo rather than to surface activation.

Rural livelihoods on bamboo handicraft making and culm vending in Mvera, Malawi

The bamboo enterprises involving handicraft making and culm vending in Mvera, Dowa district, Malawi were studied from October to December 2003. The aims of the research were to find out the contribution of bamboo enterprises to household income and the management practices of the bamboo handicraft makers and bamboo collectors, and the activities of stakeholders in the bamboo industries in Mvera. Eighteen respondents were randomly selected from the bamboo culm vending community for questionnaire survey and stratified random sampling was used to select 74 respondents from bamboo handicraft making villages. Focus groups discussions on issues of bamboo enterprises were conducted in each of the five villages selected. Perceived stakeholders were consulted to examine their roles in bamboo enterprises. It was found that an average bamboo handicraft maker used 681 bamboo culms per year and an average bamboo culm vendor cut 1146 culms per year. It was also found that an average bamboo handicraft maker obtained MK 20 684 (US$ 190) per year from the cash sales of assorted handicrafts and an average bamboo culm vendor obtained MK 10 833 (US$ 100) per year from bamboo culm cash sales. An average bamboo entrepreneur obtained MK 3251 (US$ 30) from farm cash sales. However, the average bamboo entrepreneur consumed an amount of their own farm produce worth MK 26 679 (US$ 247), which was about 1.5 times as much as average bamboo income of MK 18 417 (US$ 170). All respondents indicated that the income from bamboo enterprise was mainly for household petty cash, i.e., hand-to-mouth consumption. No significant bamboo management practices were carried out by the entrepreneurs. Bamboos were naturally growing in Thuma Forest Reserve, where most of the bamboos were collected. A few stakeholders in bamboo enterprise and resource management were merely involved in actual promotion of bamboo handicraft industry and actual bamboo management by their policies and interventions.

Witches’ broom disease of reed bamboos in Kerala, India

SummaryA witches’ broom disease caused byBalansia linearis(Ascomycota,Clavicipitaceae) affecting reed bamboos was recorded during a disease survey in natural stands and plantations in Kerala State, India. Depending on site and host species, the pathogen infected up to 24% of the clumps of the commercially exploited reed bamboos,Ochlandra travancoricavar.hirsuta, Ochlandra travancorica, Ochlandra scriptoria, andOchlandra ebracteataand poses a threat to the reed bamboo industry.

Bamboo—solution to problems

The world is facing a number of problems to which bamboo could provide a partial solution. There is a near certainty of wood shortage in the near future. Compounding that is the withdrawal from wood production of forests for conservation reasons. The world population is becoming more urbanised. When employment is provided in rural areas there is a wish that it should have the appropriate scale and adequate local participation in decision-making. Thus, to have a partial impact on these problems, a solution is needed that has the following characteristics: • A product can be produced that substitutes for wood in the widest range of uses. • The production of that product has positive environmental impacts. • The product can be made in a rural environment to assist in reducing the pressure of urbanisation. • The scale of production should be such that rural people are not displaced by it and can participate meaningfully in the activity. Development based on bamboo can very definitely provide part of the answer. Bamboo products do substitute very widely for wood-based products. Bamboo is an easy plant to raise and can be grown in small clumps on under-used land on farms. Raising it therefore has the appropriate scale for people's involvement. Bamboo is kinder to the environment than many agricultural crops. Bamboo industries moreover can be created at craft level with maximum villager involvement and relatively low capital requirements. Bamboo based industries can therefore provide the time and space for evolutionary development of the rural economy.

The development process of bamboo industry in the south of Shiga Prefecture

The development process of bamboo industry in the south of Shiga Prefecture

History of bamboo industry in Kyushu district

History of bamboo industry in Kyushu district