Effect of Fertilization on Anatomical and Physical-mechanical Properties of Neosinocalamus Affinis Bamboo

Abstract

In order to maintain soil fertility of Neosinocalamus affinis plantations, fertilizers of N, P, and K were applied. The anatomical and physical-mechanical properties of N. affinis bamboo wood from different fertilization treatments were measured. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of fertilization practice on the properties of N. affinis bamboo wood. The results revealed that the fertilization of P and K resulted in a slight reduction in fiber length. The application of P, K, and low level (0.3 kg/clump) of N fertilizers had no significant effect on the fiber morphology, while high level (0.9 kg/clump) of N fertilizer contributed to short fibers. The specific gravity was significantly decreased by fertilization, while the volume shrinkage was increased. Since the effect of various fertilization treatments had different influence patterns on the properties of N. affinis, specific evaluations on the quality of the fertilized bamboo wood should be performed prior to its utilization.

Keywords

• fertilization
• anatomy
• physical-mechanical properties
• Neosinocalamus affinis