Rejuvenating old kauayan tinik clumps.

To meet the increasing demand for bamboo, new plantations should be established and the productivity of existing clumps should be increased. Rejuvenating old clumps through the application of suitable cultural treatments such as sanitation cutting, cleaning, or fertilizer application offers a quick and cheap means of increasing the supply of bamboo. Rosario and Samsam (MMSU) conducted a study to: 1) determine the effects of cleaning or sanitation cutting on the shoot and culm production of old kauayan tinik clumps; 2) evaluate the response of old kauayan tinik clumps to complete fertilizer application; and 3) establish the cost-benefit derived from cleaning and fertilizer application on old kauayan tinik clumps.

Findings

• Cleaning of clumps enhanced the growth and development of new shoots and culms resulting to better quality of harvested culms. The harvesting cost was greatly reduced in cleaned clumps. Estimate of income obtained from the harvested culms was higher in the cleaned clumps.
• Complete fertilizer application had significant influence on the number, diameter, and height of shoots; number and diameter of culms; diameter and length of harvested culms; and potential income from the harvested culms.
• Applying 2.0 kg 14-14-14/clump per year to old kauayan tinik clumps can increase shoot and culm production. It can also enhance culm height and diameter growth and development, resulting to better quality of culms produced and ultimately more income per clump can be obtained.