Improving productivity of unmanaged 'kawayan tinik' plantation for poles and shoots

Malak et al. (MMSU) assessed the productivity of unmanaged kawayan tinik plantation over a period of 5 years. The authors studied the combined effects of cleaning, irrigation, inorganic fertilizer application, mulching, and organic matter addition on the production of quality poles and shoots. Silvicultural treatments were combined with six pole density treatments having definite age of poles per year (PoPeYe technology) per clump. For example, the successive numbers 4-4-4-4 indicated the number of 1-2-3, or more year old clumps in each clump, counted and marked just before the shoot season. The project started in 2002 and was completed in December 2006. Findings of the study revealed the following: Improved shoot emergence was observed with irrigation and unusual rainfall in February 2002. Shoot emergence was shown to be highest in April 2002. Meanwhile, in 2003, shoot emergence began after the first rainfall in May and increased in June. Overall, irrigation had a positive effect on emergence and number of shoot per clump and productivity index. The average shoot production of six shoots per clump from all treatments was within the range of shoot production of Bambusa blumeana. This applied to areas with distinct dry and wet season. The 3-year-old and 4-year-old poles receiving irrigation treatments in 2002 and 2003 (those that had emerged as shoots) had significantly bigger diameter poles than those without irrigation. But this was not evident in the 2004, 2005, and 2006 observations. Both the 3-year-old and 4-year-old mother culms had a very low percentage shoot production at less than 3.8%. This meant it was more advantageous to harvest mother poles for pole production than for shoot production. Irrigation significantly improved culm characteristics of B.blumeana for various uses. But the combined effect of various silvicultural operations in the 3,4, or 6 poles per age had no consistent effect on growth response and quality of the poles in the clumps. Yet, extending the pole's age from 3 years to 4 years was advantageous on the physical properties appropriate for construction purposes. The project concluded that irrigation and cleaning significantly improved clump productivity and quality for specific uses of poles. Consequently, computation for clump productivity following the 3-6 number poles per age gives a definite number of poles and potential number of shoots to harvest every year in a managed plantation.