MANAGEMENT OF BAMBOO ( DENDROCALAMUS STRICTUS) FOR HIGH ECONOMIC RETURNS AND STABILIZATION OF RAVINE WATERSHED IN GUJARAT

Abstract

A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN WHICH BAMBOO ( DENDROCALAMUS STRICTUS) WAS PLANTED IN THE YEAR 1964 AT 6 X 6 M DISTANCE IN THE DEEP RAVINES LOCATED ON THE RIGHT BANK OF RIVER MAHISAGAR AT VILLAGE VASAD IN KHEDA OF GUJARAT. THE AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL HERE IS 865 MM WHICH OCCURS IN 38 RAINY DAYS. 95% OF THE RAIN FALLS DURING THE MONTHS OF JUNE TO SEPTEMBER. PLANTING WAS DONE ON CONTOURS IN STAGGERED MANNER. THE PLANTATION WAS RAISED PURELY RAINFED WITH NO FERTILISER APPLICATION. THE BAMBOO HAS ESTABLISHED EXTREMELY WELL IN THESE RAVINES. IN AN EXPERIMENT CONDUCTED DURING 1980 TO 1983 , VARIOUS FELLING CYCLES WERE TRIED FOR ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION OF BAMBOOS. THE AVERAGE ANNUAL YIELDS PER CLUMP OBTAINED VARIED FROM 6.21 TO 11.69 . THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT A SMALL FARMER MAY ADOPT ANNUAL CUTTING AT THE RATE OF 30% OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CULMS FOR OBTAINING OPTIMUM ANNUAL RETURNS , BUT IN PLACES OF LARGE SCALE PLANTATIONS OR IN AREAS VULNERABLE TO SOIL EROSION , HARVESTING ONCE IN 4 YEARS MAY BE MORE PRACTICAL FROM THE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT POINT OF VIEW.