Bamboo Shoot Production Research Articles

Phenotypic and genotypic identification of lactic acid bacteria isolated from ethnic fermented bamboo tender shoots of North East India

Mesu, soidon, soibum and soijim are ethnic fermented bamboo tender shoot products prepared by the people in North East India. Microbiological analysis of mesu, soidon, soibum and soijim showed the population dominated by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) ranging up to 10 8 cfu g − 1 . The phenotypic characterisation of predominant LAB isolated from the fermented bamboo shoot products was based on general morphology, physiological tests, API and Biolog systems. The genotypic characterisation of LAB was based on RAPD-PCR, rep PCR, species-specific PCR techniques, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and DNA–DNA hybridisation. Predominant functional LAB strains associated with the fermented bamboo shoot products were identified as Lactobacillus brevis, Lb. plantarum, Lb. curvatus, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides, Leuc. fallax, Leuc. lactis, Leuc. citreum and Enterococcus durans.

Commercial edible bamboo species of the North-Eastern Himalayan region, India. Part II: fermented, roasted and boiled bamboo shoots sales

The sales of fermented, roasted and boiled bamboo shoots in the market places of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Sikkim, of the North-Eastern Himalayan (NEH) region, India have been reported. The results are based on the survey of 118 markets covering 1200 primary and secondary vendors from 51 districts of NEH region. The consumption of fermented, roasted and boiled shoots was estimated to be ca. 680 tonnes; the highest occurs in Arunachal Pradesh (481 tonnes/year) and the lowest in Nagaland (19.5 tonnes/year). The bamboo shoots are consumed in the form of fermented-slice, crushed-fermented moist, crushed-fermented dry, fermented whole shoot, roasted whole shoot and boiled whole shoot in different states of the region. Cost–return analysis for sales of these bamboo products revealed a net income of 23 million rupees per annum (US$ 502 950) from the entire region with the highest (17.5 million rupees/year or US$ 38 270) in Arunachal Pradesh and the lowest in Sikkim (0.47 million rupees/year or US$ 10 280). Employment opportunities have also been worked out and ca. 1260 persons/year could earn their subsistence through selling of bamboo shoot products.

The industrialization and market orientation of bamboo shoot production in Lin'an County: a case study

Lin'an County, in the Zhejiang Province of China, began to develop large-scale industrial purpose bamboo shoot plantations in the 1980s. The bamboo shoot plantation area in this county increased from 2180 ha in 1982 to 20 000 ha in 2002; at the same time, the annual fresh shoot production increased from 7280 tons to 135 250 tons, annual fresh shoot production value increased from CNY 2.19 million to CNY 328.05 million (1 CNY = about US$ 0.12). The local industry development started from zero to 47 bamboo shoot processing enterprises, the processed bamboo shoot products amount to 114 000 tons per year. From these products, 32 180 tons are exported to international markets, with an export value of CNY 150 million. The annual per capita income of local farmers increased from less than CNY 800 to CNY 5100. This article introduces how the local farmers in Lin'an County developed the local bamboo shoot production from a natural autarkic economy to an dimensional and market-orientated industry. This progress involves Government supports, training for local farmers, construction of demonstration sites and establishment of technical service network and marketing development. This article provides a successful model for developing bamboo sectors in a community with poor conditions and achieves success in a comparatively short period of time.

EFFECT OF MULCHING ON SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND ENZYME ACTIVITIES IN BAMBOO PLANTATION OF PHYLLOSTACHY PRAECOX

Phyllostachy praecox is a major bamboo species which produces a small-type of bamboo shoot, one of the most delicious forest vegetables in China. Emergence of bamboo shoots of Phyllostachy praecox usually begins in late January to early February but most shooting does not occur until March. Mulching in winter is commonly adopted to achieve earlier emergence of the bamboo shoots. However, with mulching the plantation of bamboo trees appears to develop early senescence. This could be a result from “disordered” changes of soil chemical and/or biochemical properties. A field experiment was conducted to understand the mechanism. Three commonly used mulching materials, rice straw (RS), mixture of rice straw and rice grain hulls (RH) and leaves of bamboo trees (BL) were applied in December. A control plot without covering (CK), was also established. Dynamic changes of soil chemical properties and soil enzymatic activities were monitored through winter to spring by collecting soil samples at 25 day intervals. The results showed that changes of soil organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (N) and available phosphorus (P) were similar from winter (December) to early spring (March). Over this time, content of soil OM and N decreased slowly and level of soil available P had little change. In contrast, in spring when it was warm, net loss of soil OM, N and P were much greater. This was coincide with the output of bamboo shoot production. By d100 in April, treatment of BL and CK resulted in the least net loss of soil OM, N and P in comparison with those at d0. And RS and RH did the most. Soil enzymatic activities of hydrogen peroxidase, sucrase, phosphatase, urase and protease were generally higher in mulch treated plots than CK. And soil enzyme activities in BL treated plots were highest.

Bamboo sector reforms and the local economy of Linan County, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China

The impact of county-level bamboo sector reforms on bamboo contributions to the county economy is examined by using aggregate county data and simple analytical methods. The role of the contributions of bamboo to the different income groups is evaluated on the basis of data, for 1987 and 1997, from 46 households and by using Gini coefficients, relative and absolute inequality weights, and movements of households through different income groups. Fresh bamboo shoot (FBS) production increased from US$0.1 million in 1983 to US$29 million in 1996. Allocation of labor and capital reached near optimal by the end of the first phase of forestland reforms in 1987. Industrial reforms could affect land allocation through price incentives. Market reforms had a much higher impact through price incentives on land allocation. Bamboo contributions have benefited poor as well as rich groups, and these contributions have moved many households from the poorer to the richer classes. Bamboo sector reforms have reduced the inequality in bamboo land and bamboo income but the share of bamboo income in the total income inequality has increased. The local governments should recognize these outcomes and the basic differences in the production of different bamboo products to design future reforms.