EXPERIMENTS IN ALABAMA
Experiments with bamboo have been conducted at Auburn since 1933 when the first introductions were made from several nurseries in the United States, particularly the U.S. Plant Introduction Station at Savannah, Georgia. Numerous introductions have been made. Those that have grown successfully are listed in Table 1.

Large scale experiments at Camden, AL were begun in 1959 when a planting of approximately 4 acres of timber bamboo was made to compare yields of bamboo and pine for pulp production. In 1960, approximately 100 acres of five species was planted to study the problems of production, harvesting, and utilization of bamboo. These experiments were initiated with the active cooperation of the New Crops Research Branch of the United States Department of Agriculture. The discontinuation of cooperation by the Department on July 1, 1965 reportedly as an economy measure, resulted in drastic curtailment of planned harvesting research and abandonment of plans for utilization research.

Experiments at Auburn
The tests have consisted of observations on appearance, growth habits, cold tolerance, and yields from cutting treatments.

COLD TOLERANCE. Most cold tolerant species were P. rubromarginata, S. fastuosa, and P. viridis. Next in tolerance were P. aureosulcata and P. nigra var. Henon. Phyllostachys bambusoides, P. meyeri, and P. aurea have been damaged severely 3 years in the 20 years they have been observed.

YIELD OF POLES. Seven species have been harvested for marketable poles. The age at harvest varied from 8 to 18 years. Yields reported in Table 2 are for canes 15 feet or longer. (Those less than 15 feet are not marketable). Production per acre has varied from 11,000 to 39,000 canes. Yields with selective cutting have varied from 2,000 to 10,000 per acre per year. The production of very large poles from the large species, such as P. viridis. P. vivax, and P. bambusoides, would be less; probably about 1,000 per acre would be about the maximum that one could expect to harvest and maintain the grove.

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¹Normally one would not cut all canes on an area at one time. Usual harvest would cut about one-third or one-fourth of the large canes at one time. All of the canes were not marketable as poles because some were crooked and not suitable except to be cut in short lengths for stakes.

YIELD OF WOOD. Yields of five species of bamboo harvested for wood (suitable for pulp) reported in Table 3 are for all canes on an area. Age of bamboo varied from 15 to 20 years, with average yield of 17-54 tons per acre. Phyllostachys rubromarginata has been the most productive species tested at Auburn. It has smaller canes than the timber bamboo, but has many more canes per acre; thus, total production is much larger.

The percentage weight of leaves on a green plant has varied from 10 to 16 per cent, with limbs making up 11 to 20 per cent. It is believed that if bamboo were grown for pulp, the limbs would not be removed and would be used in the pulping process; hence the dry weight reported is the total for limbs and stems.

CUTTING IN STRIPS FOR WOOD. Observations of P. bambusoides at Auburn showed a much slower recovery when an area was solid cut than when it was cut in strips 5 feet or 10 feet wide. A study was begun in 1960 using P. rubromarginata to determine the yield when strips 10 feet wide were cut in a north-south direction. Yields for the first cutting were about twice as large as from the second cutting, Table 4. The bamboo was 14 to 19 years old at the first cutting, but the canes were only 5 years old when the second cutting was made. Yield per acre of growth is much in favor of the strip cutting.

Picture - Top, Bamboo cut in 10-foot strip; bottom, regrowth of strip year after cutting.

¹All plantings were made in 1946.

It is not known what the maximum width of the cutting strip should be. Ten feet was used because it was known from past cutting that the bamboo would recover in at least a 10-foot strip. Young plants coming up in the cut strip appear to draw on the mother plants on each side for food, thus growing faster than when no mother plants are present.

It is not known whether there is any growth difference because of direction in which a strip is cut. Cutting east and west should allow more sunlight to reach young plants.

Experiments at Camden
PLANTING STOCK TEST. The 1960 planting at Camden included 100 acres of five species and two kinds of planting stock (plants and rhizomes). The area was river terrace soil and varied from clay to sandy loam in texture. Planting stock was supplied by the Plant Introduction Station at Savannah, Georgia. Grown, dug, and processed at the station, it was shipped by truck at various times to Camden. It was stored in moist sawdust and planted as soon as possible after arriving. It appeared to be good, live planting stock.

The planting was done in well prepared soil from January 21 to April 26. Planting was by hand at a depth of 4-5 inches spaced 16 feet in each direction. The plants were watered during the summer of 1960 as frequently as possible, but it was not possible to water as often as needed. Weeds were kept down by hand hoeing a few feet around each plant and middles were kept mowed.

Counts of surviving plants made in fall 1960, Table 5, show much better survival of plants than rhizomes for the three species where a comparison could be made.

¹ Planted January 21 to April 26, 1960.

Phyllostachys>

Picture - Phyllostachys rubromarginata at Camden, Alabama 5 years after planting rhizomes.

YIELDS OF WOOD. Yields of wood of three species determined in 1966 and 1967 by cutting strips 10 feet wide across plantings made in 1959 and 1960 show a decided advantage for P. rubromarginata, Table 6. The weights are for stems and branches and are assumed to be the yields that would have been obtained if the bamboo had been cut for pulp.

¹ Oven-dry basis of weight of stems and branches, leaves were removed. ² One year--1966.

BAMBOO AND PINE COMPARISON. In 1959, plantings of timber bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides) and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) were made on river terrace soil (Wickham sandy loam) and upland soil (Norfolk fine sandy loam) to compare the production of pulpwood. Plots were 216 feet x 216 feet and plants were set 8 feet x 8 feet. Good stands of pine and bamboo were obtained.

The first yield records were made in December of 1966. These yields, reported in Table 7, are calculated on basis of cutting all the plants (not selective cutting). Strips were cut for records (10 feet for bamboo and 8 feet for pine), and the remainder left for records of future cuttings. Pine yields (8 tons per acre) are on the basis of bark-free wood and the 14-ton yield of bamboo is of leaf-free branches and stems.

Picture - Loblolly pine (left) and bamboo at Camden, Alabama, 8 years after setting.

¹ Bark-free wood. ² Weight of stems and branches, free of leaves.

Place for Bamboo in Alabama

POLES AND STAKES. There is a place for bamboo on many farms to be used for poles and stakes. In some cases they are bought by firms that process and sell fishing poles, which have a ready market. Others are bought for use in harvesting pecans. The best species for fishing canes are. P aurea and P. meyeri. Phyllostachys bambusoides may be used, but it should be cut so as to keep the poles short (15-18 feet). The preferred species is Phyllostachys aurea, which has many canes with short joints near the base that make for very desirable poles. For stakes, P. aurea, P. meyeri, P. bambusoides, P. nigra var. henon, and P. rubromarginata are excellent.

Picture - Fish pole bamboo at Auburn, Alabama. Picture - Closeup of fish pole bamboo shows desired short joints near base. HEDGES. Any of the species can be used for hedges if they are pruned correctly. Pruning can be avoided by using a smaller species. One of the best for a hedge 4 to 6 feet high is Shibataea kumasaca. Another good species is switch cane (Arundinaria tecta). For a hedge 8 to 12 feet tall, Arundinaria simonii (small type) or Arundinaria gigantea are excellent if pruned occasionally.

ORNAMENTAL AND SHRUBS. A few of the bamboos are small and make excellent plants for use around the home as ornamentals. Arundinaria viridi-striata grows 2-3 feet tall and has a yellowish striped leaf. It grows well in the shade. Sasa palmara, with a broad long leaf that is bright green in color, makes an excellent appearance. It grows 4 to 6 feet in height, but can be kept smaller by pruning.

BAMBOO FOR WOOD PULP. Bamboo is better suited than pine for certain paper products, such as facial tissues and fine writing paper. This is because the bamboo fiber has a much greater length-to-width ratio than pine fiber. This property gives added flexibility to bamboo-made paper, imparting softness and smoothness to the final product. The yields reported, Tables 3,4, 6, and 7, show that bamboo would produce well in certain areas of Alabama. It would be limited to areas not too cold, probably where temperatures do not drop below 5?F. Many soils of the State are suited to bamboo.

Bamboo spreads by rhizomes and is a perennial. Thus, it will grow continuously after cutting without having to be replanted. If a rotational system of cutting is used, a portion of the stand may be harvested each year after the plant is established. To lessen the risk of loss when a species produces flowers, several species should be grown.

Before bamboo can be successfully grown as a crop for pulp production, several problems need to be solved:

1. Large-scale methods of propagation will have to be developed to get large acreages under production.
2. Harvesting and handling of the cane must be mechanized. Studies are needed to determine the maximum width of cut that will maintain the stand. A width of 10 feet has worked satisfactorily in studies in Alabama. It is not known how much wider widths might be used. How frequently these strips should be harvested to produce the maximum pulp per acre per year needs to be determined. Studies comparing productivity under clean cutting and strip cutting are needed.
3. Pulp mills will have to convert to a processing method that will work with bamboo.
4. The bamboo grower will have to be assured of a market before he can take the risk of investments in planting.
5. Industry must be assured of sufficient bamboo supplies before converting entire plants to bamboo processing.
6. Certain chemical problems, particularly that of excess plant silica which is common to bamboo and most other grasses, must be dealt with.

CONFINING BAMBOO TO A DEFINITE AREA. Three methods of confining running type bamboo have worked at Auburn:

1. Cutting off the rhizomes twice each year by running a subsoil plow about 15 inches deep around the bamboo in the spring and again in the fall. On a small scale this may be done by digging a trench around the bamboo and refilling it.
2. Putting a metal barrier around the bamboo. The metal should extend about 2 feet into the soil.
3. Cutting off the new shoots or treating them with a herbicide as soon as they start up in the spring. This must be done every few days for about 6 weeks since all the new shoots do not come up at one time. A herbicide that has worked satisfactorily is a mixture of 9 parts kerosene or diesel oil and 1 part creosote, with 1 or 2 tablespoonfuls applied to the top of the shoot as soon as it emerges from the ground. This will kill it back to the mother rhizome.

ERADICATING BAMBOO. Bamboo can be eradicated by several methods:

1. Graze it with cattle during the summer. If the plants are so large that cattle cannot bend them over to graze the leaves, they should be cut and the cattle allowed to graze the new plants as they emerge.
2. Cut the old plants in winter or early spring and the new shoots as they emerge in the spring and summer. This will require cutting several times.
3. Spray the area with a herbicide. Of the several tested at Auburn, Sodium TCA (sodium salt of trichloroaecetic acid) gave best success. This should be sprayed on the soil over the areas in which the bamboo is growing at a rate of 50 pounds active ingredient in at least 100 gallons of water per acre. It is preferable to apply it in late winter or early spring before new growth starts. Rain will carry the chemical down to the root system and it will be absorbed. This will sterilize the soil for about 90 days, so nothing should be planted on the area until about June.

Caution: TCA is caustic and will burn the eyes and skin. Care must be taken not to get it on animals or persons. It is corrosive to metals and a sprayer must be cleaned immediately after applying.

SUMMARY
Small areas of bamboo are found in nearly all sections of Alabama. The running type bamboo is better suited to Alabama. The clump type is winter hardy only in the immediate Gulf Coast area.

Experiments have been conducted at Auburn since 1933 and at Camden since 1959. The findings are summarized:

1. The most winter hardy species were Phyllostachys rubromarginata, P. virids, and semi-arundinaria fastuosa. The next most hardy were P. aureosulcata, P. aureosulcata, P. nigra var. henon, followed by P. bambusoides, P. meyeri, and P. aurea.
2. <SPAN style="mso-bookmark: camden">When all canes were cut, the yield of poles 15 feet or longer varied from 1l,000 to 39,000 per acre.
3. When canes were selectively cut, yields were 2,000 to 10,000 per acre per year, depending on species.
4. The yield of large poles from the large-growing species was about 1,000 per acre per year.
5. The yield of dry wood varied from 17 to 54 tons per acre, depending on the species.
6. Bamboo cut in 10-foot strips recovered much faster than when all canes were cut.
7. Cutting in 10-foot strips every 5 years produced a yield of 18 to 45 tons of dry wood per acre. The 4-year average yield was 28 tons per acre.
8. Bamboo plants averaged the following by weight: green leaves, 14%; branches (dry weight), 16%; and dry matter, 63%.
9. Survival rate was 19 to 39% (average 26%) from plants and 0.7 per cent to 86% (average 6%) from rhizomes.
10. Phyllostachys rubromarginata had the highest survival rate.
11. Loblolly pine yielded 8 tons of dry wood 8 years after planting. P. bambusoides bamboo produced 14 tons in the same period.
12. Phyllostachys rubromarginata produced the largest tonnage of dry wood per acre of any of the varieties tested at Auburn and at Camden. Bamboo could be grown for wood pulp in Alabama. It has several advantages for this use, but a number of problems need to be solved before extensive plantings are made.

From Ken Tilt, Something to grow on newsletter, October 2002

I often get calls on bamboo. Some people want to grow it and some people want to kill it (similar to our deer problem). Callers are often interested in the fact that Auburn and the Experiment Station in Camden, Alabama were heavily involved in research of Bamboo for use as a renewable alternative crop for pine trees in the 1950's. I have reprinted an Extension Bulletin from 1968 reporting on the bamboo research (go to keyword index) to show the researchers' very positive and glowing results. I often wondered why such promising data never progressed any further. I visited the now closed Camden Research Station to see the plantings and asked the retired Superintendent, Joe Little, what happened to the research. He said the money just ran out. The research was sponsored by a USDA grant and the next step in the research was to build a processing plant to test and stimulate interest in growing bamboo. However, political or economic pressures at the time shut off funding for the research. I enjoyed reading the information in this rare Extension bulletin and wanted to be sure it was saved for others who were interested.

Much of the bamboo is still growing well at the station (see photos below). They built a dam on part of the station and the water table rose in part of the bamboo nursery. Several species were lost due to excessive water. I offer a list below of the species at the station that are still roughly maintained and can be visited if you call Mr. Little. Some of the production groves of mature bamboo are interesting to walk through if you can squeeze under the towering canopy. There is no undergrowth on the ground beneath the bamboo. It offers an eerie view. Our visits to China have given me a great appreciation for these plants. Bamboo has incredible strength and endless uses. Some of the species we saw were also very ornamental. Unfortunately, bamboo is on the restricted entry list by USDA and we could not bring any in to the US to test.