Bamboo Tissue Culture Plants

Local Name

• Baruwa (Manipur)
• Bhaluka (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bengal)
• Beru (Meghalaya); Bhalu Bans (Nagaland); Barak (Tripura)

Uses

Building Material For Houses, Bridges, Fishing Floats, Scaffolding, Rickshaw Hoods, Baskets, Woven Mats.

Characteristics

• Culm Length: Up To 30 M
• Culm Diameter: 8 -15 Cm
• Internode Length: 20 - 40 Cm

Distribution

Indigenous To Northeastern India But Naturalized In Many States Of India.

Cultivation Conditions

• Altitude - Sea Level Up To 0 – 2000 M.
• Soil Type - Grows In A Wide Range Of Soil Types But Maximum Productivity Is Seen When Grown In Heavy Textured Soil With Good Drainage. Soil Ph Should Be Low Of About 5.5.  Climatic Conditions - Growth Is Profuse In Tropical And Tropical To Sub-tropical Conditions. Prefers Tropical Monsoon Climate With An Annual Rainfall Of 2500-3000 Mm.

Advantages Of Tissue Culture Plants

• True To The Type 
• High Market Value & High Yield And Quality
• High Biomass Yielding Plant
• Energy Can Be Generated
• Throughout The Year Plantation Possible
• Disease Free Plants.
• Genetically Pure And Identical To Mother Plant.
• Uniform And High Yield.
• Mass Production At Less Time And At Less Cost.
• Season Independent.

Local Name

• Mokal/Mallo/Kali (Arunachal Pradesh)
• Deobanh/Jatie makal (Assam)
• Utang (Manipur)
• Mal Bans (Sikkim)
• Rungazumi (Nagaland)

Uses

Building material for Houses, Bridges, Fishing floats, Scaffolding, Rickshaw hoods, Baskets, Woven mats, Construction and Furniture.

Characteristics

• Culm length – upto 20 m 
• Culm diameter – 5-10cm
• Internode length – 25 - 55 cm
• Wall thickness – long and thick walled

Distribution

It is an exotic species cultivated in the Northeastern states as the shoots are the edible form of food. It can also be grown in south Indian states of Kerala, and parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.  

Cultivation Conditions

• Altitude - Grows well in plains and in hilly tracts up to 1500 m altitude. 
• Soil type - Grows in a wide range of soil types but maximum productivity prefers gravelly loam or sandy fertile soil

Advantages of Tissue Culture Plants

• True to the type 
• High market value & High yield and quality
• High biomass yielding plant
• Energy can be generated
• Throughout the year plantation possible
• Disease free Plants.
• Genetically pure and identical to mother plant.
• Uniform and high yield.
• Mass production at less time and at less cost.
• Season independent.

Local Name

• Jati (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, West Bengal)
• Wati, Owati (Meghalaya)
• Mirtinga (Tripura)
• Rawthing (Mizoram)
• Paoshiding (Sikkim)
• Deobans (Behar)
• Longmeii (Nagaland)
• Koraincho bans (Sikkim)

Uses

Construction, Scaffolding, Furnitures, Boxes, Mats and Agarbatti.

Characteristics

• Culm length: Up to 20 m
• Culm diameter: 5-15 cm
• Internode length: 20-45 cm

Distribution

Found in the states of Assam, Behar, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. It is being cultivated in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand. Can also be grown in south Indian states of Kerala, and parts of Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.

Cultivation Conditions

• Altitude - Though the species prefers altitudes around 1500 m it can be easily grown in the plains.
• Soil type - Prefers moist alluvial soil to fine textured soils also in well drained sandy and clayey soils. Prefers a pH of 5 - 6, tolerating 4.5 - 6.5.

Climatic Conditions

Tropical and sub-tropical conditions. Prefers a position in dappled shade, also thrives in full sun. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,200 - 2,500 mm, but tolerates 700 - 4,500 mm.

Advantages of Tissue Culture Plants

• True to the type 
• High market value & High yield and quality
• High biomass yielding plant
• Energy can be generated
• Throughout the year plantation possible
• Disease free Plants.
• Genetically pure and identical to mother plant.
• Uniform and high yield.
• Mass production at less time and at less cost.
• Season independent.

Local Name

• Sweet Bamboo
• Rough bamboo

Uses

Building material for Houses, Bridges, Cooking pots, Laminated Boards, Furnitures, Musical Instruments, Chopsticks and Handicrafts.

Characteristics

• Culm length – up to 30 cm 
• Culm diameter – 20 cm 
• Internode length – 30 cm 
• Wall thickness – Hollow culms with thick wall especially at the base 

Distribution

It is an exotic species cultivated in the Northeastern states as the shoots are the edible form of food. It can also be grown in south Indian states of Kerala, and parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.  

Cultivation Conditions

• Altitude - Grows well in plains and in hilly tracts up to 2000 m altitude. 
• Soil type - Prefers well drained black soils, Sandy clay loam or shallow lateritic soil mixed with fine sandy clay. Good drainage is essential.  

Climatic Conditions

It prefers a sub-tropical climate to tropical climate. Prefers tropical to sub-tropical regions with the altitude of 400 – 500 m with an average rainfall of 2400 mm. 

Advantages of Tissue Culture Plants

• True to the type 
• High market value & High yield and quality
• High biomass yielding plant
• Energy can be generated
• Throughout the year plantation possible
• Disease free Plants.
• Genetically pure and identical to mother plant.
• Uniform and high yield.
• Mass production at less time and at less cost.
• Season independent.

Local Name

• Bulka (West Bengal) 
• Wanan (Manipur)  
• Bilathimula (Malayalam)

Uses

Building construction, Boats mats, Furnitures, Farm implements, Water pots and Paper making.

Characteristics

• Culm length – 19 - 33 m
• Culm diameter – 13 - 20 cm 
• Internode length – 30 - 38cm 

Distribution

Found mainly in the states of Manipur and Andaman. It can also be grown in south Indian states of Kerala, and parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.  

Cultivation Conditions

• Altitude - Grows well in plains and in hilly tracts and up to 1300 m. 
• Soil type - Prefers well drained sandy and clayey soils. 

Climatic Conditions

It prefers a tropical climate and responds well to water availability.  

Advantages of Tissue Culture Plants

• True to the type 
• High market value & High yield and quality
• High biomass yielding plant
• Energy can be generated
• Throughout the year plantation possible
• Disease free Plants.
• Genetically pure and identical to mother plant.
• Uniform and high yield.
• Mass production at less time and at less cost.
• Season independent.

Local Name

• Chivari, Mes (Maharashtra), Konda (Karnataka) 
• Oyi ( Kerala)  

Uses

Making Furnitures, Banana stakes, Walking sticks, Edible shoots, Roofing for huts.

Characteristics

• Culm length – 10 m 
• Culm diameter – 2.5 – 4 cm 
• Internode length – 15 – 30 cm 
• Wall thickness – Solid clumps except at the internodes 

Distribution

Coastal areas of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Northern Kerala   

Cultivation Conditions

• Altitude - Grows well in plains and in hilly tracts up to 1200m.  
• Soil type - Lateritic soils, Black and Red soils.  

Climatic Conditions

It prefers a tropical humid climate.  

Advantages of Tissue Culture Plants

• True to the type 
• High market value & High yield and quality
• High biomass yielding plant
• Energy can be generated
• Throughout the year plantation possible
• Disease free Plants.
• Genetically pure and identical to mother plant.
• Uniform and high yield.
• Mass production at less time and at less cost.
• Season independent.

Local Name

• Kanak kainch(Tripura) 
• Lathi mula ( Kerala)  

Uses

Light flooring, Joinery, Interior firm, Furnitures, Boat building, Toys, Drums and Drawing boards.

Characteristics

• Culm length – 15 - 25 m 
• Culm diameter – 5 cm 
• Internode length – 40-60 cm 
• Wall thickness: Hollow but with thick walls to almost solid in the lower part of culm 

Distribution

Kerala

Cultivation Conditions

• Altitude - Grows well in plains and in hilly tracts up to 1500 m.  
• Soil type - Grows well in Lateritic soils, Black and Red soils but prefers Well drained loamy soils.  

Advantages of Tissue Culture Plants

• True to the type 
• High market value & High yield and quality
• High biomass yielding plant
• Energy can be generated
• Throughout the year plantation possible
• Disease free Plants.
• Genetically pure and identical to mother plant.
• Uniform and high yield.
• Mass production at less time and at less cost.
• Season independent.