Global Ecology and Conservation (Jun 2020)
Effects of thinning intensity and growth parameters on Dendrocalamus brandisii (Munro) Kurz shoot production in Simao District, Yunnan Province, southwestern China
Abstract
Bamboo shoots have been used by Chinese people as a popular and delicious dish up to 3000 years. Out of 534 bamboo species in China, about 50 species are used as source of edible shoot. However, little or almost no intensive management intervention has been applied for optimum shoot production of clump forming bamboo forest, especially for Dendrocalamus brandisii (Munro) Kurz. Therefore, the present study aimed to: (1) investigate the effects of thinning intensity on D. brandisii shoot production, (2) assess the effects of growth parameters on D. brandisii shoot production, and (3) develop a model to predict shoot production from a 5-year-old D. brandisii plantation. In February, using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) five thinning intensity treatments (1–0, 1-1, 2–1, 2-2 standing culm density (SCD) and control) were established in three blocks along an altitudinal gradient that covered an area of about 0.072 ha. Data collection (number of shoots and shoot yield) was conducted from mid-July to mid-October. A total of 130 edible shoots weighing 278.5 kg were harvested from 0.072 ha. This accounted for 2.89 harvested shoots clump−1 with 3.87 ton ha−1 shoot yield. On average, the largest shoot yield (2.74 kg or 5.84 ton ha−1) was harvested from a 2-2 standing culm density (SCD) (T4). The developed model illustrated that shoot yield was positively and significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with thinning intensity. The model further demonstrated that all culm DBH classes in T4 and/or T3 had the largest shoot yield compared to the control treatment (T5). Despite fewer numbers of shoots in T4 compared to T3, the larger shoot size in T4 made more attractive and promising for D. brandisii shoot production. Future studies should be considered on the combined effect of SCD, fertilizer regime and irrigation scheme for a better understanding about optimum shoot production.
