Travel Report March 2001

This web page was produced by the Centre for Plant and Water Science of CQUniversity, and funded by RIRDC.

ACIAR Project No. FST/2000/127

Improving and maintaining productivity of bamboo for quality timber and shoots in Australia and the Philippines

Travel Report

Name of Participants/Delegates: Nimfa K. Torreta (PCARRD), Stanley C. Malab (MMSU), Marina A. Alipon (FPRDI), Lou Yiping (INBAR)

Agencies: Philippine Council For Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) , Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)

Purpose of Travel: To attend an ACIAR-funded training and orientation session with project staff from the Plant Sciences Group of CQUniversity

Duration of Travel: 7 – 21 March 2001

Highlights of the Visit/Training-workshop:

The visit/training was organized and coordinated by the ACIAR Commissioned Organization which is the CQUniversity (CQUniversity) represented by Professor David Midmore and Mr. Steve Ockerby. The visit /training-workshop served as the initial exposure and planning meeting between the project staff from Australia and the Philippines for the newly approved ACIAR funded project on Bamboo.

An INBAR representative was also included in the meeting/visit to ensure that the planned research activities link in with INBAR activities. This meeting/visit provides the project an opportunity to tap INBAR for some financial assistance to some planned activities of the project.

The team composed of CQUniversity representatives (Prof. David Midmore and Mr. Steve Ockerby), Filipino representatves (Drs. Stanley Malab, Marina Alipon and Nimfa Torreta) and INBAR representative from China (Dr. Lou Yiping) visited the following bamboo growing areas and bamboo related industries in Brisbane, Eumundi, N.NSW and Northern Territory:

Plantation/Industry/Commission Person-in-Charge/Owner
Bamboozled Jim and Belinda Nilon
Bamboo World Victor Cusack and Deirdre Stewart
Bamboo Surfboards Australia Shale Gordon and Frank McWilliams
Mullumbimby Bamboo Martin and Julianne Hartmann
Bamboo Australia Durnford Dart and Wendy
NT DPIF Mark Traynor and Matt Darcey
Bamboo Planet Earth Richard Kingsley

At CQUniversity, the team was updated on the current research activities on bamboo implemented by the Centre for Plant and Water Science of CQUniversity. Summaries and significant outputs were presented and discussed by Prof. Midmore and Mr. Ockerby. Furthermore, introduction to soil moisture measurement equipment and rapid plant analyses were briefly but comprehensively discussed and demonstrated by B. Kuskopf and B. Kele. The team had also the chance to see and observe the existing trial experimentation on bamboo at Rockhampton.

Discussion regarding the preliminary experimental design for Philippine trials was carried out and agreed upon by the team. The design was validated and finalized after visit to various bamboo growers in Brisbane, northern NSW and in the Northern Territory. Financial matters of the project was also discussed and clarified.

It was observed that currently there is only little trade in bamboo products (only component material for bamboo surfboards and bamboo shoots for food) produced in Australia. There is a great demand to produce its own bamboo resource base to offset imports from China and other countries.

The bamboo surfboards produced by Bamboo Surfboards Australia incorporate bamboo veneers, which have twice the strength of fibreglass, and 6 times the strength of steel for the same weight. The bamboo process employed here can also be applied to other products including small boats – canoes, sailboats, kayaks and outriggers; surf skis/snow skis – skateboards; and wind surfers –wave boards.

On the other hand, bamboo shoots from various bamboo species (i.e. Dendrocalamus latiflorus, D. asper and B. oldhamii etc.) are cultivated and grown by applying fertilization and irrigation. These practices were observed in most of the bamboo growing areas visited. The bamboo shoot growing areas observed were very impressive.

Visit to different bamboo growing areas and bamboo commercial enterprises in various parts of Queensland, Eumundi, northern NSW and Northern Territory gave the group an idea and knowledge on the extent of cultivation, management and utilization of bamboo in these areas. Their integration into the activities of the project will support /strengthen the adoption of relevant research outputs.

In most of the bamboo growing areas visited, tropical bamboo species such as Dendrocalamus latiflorus, D. asper and the frost-resistant species B. oldhamii were found to be the most popular and widely cultivated and maintained species’. It was observed that clump productivity was greatly affected by the applied clump management protocols (e.g. fertilization (organic), irrigation, thinning intensity).

As observed from the bamboo growing areas visited, areas with temperatures that are sufficiently high produced good new shoots and culms year round. It just shows that productivity of bamboo may be maximized with year round irrigation and with optimal thinning management. This finding could be further validated through trial experimentations both in Australia and the Philippines.

During the visit to the Northern Territory, the group learned that the only one endemic bamboo species in Australia (Bambusa arnhemica) is in danger of being gone forever due to its gregarious flowering and over-exploitation on the banks of the Adelaide River just to satisfy markets for fresh shoots in the southern states. It is in line with this that the ACIAR bamboo project would like to link with the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory through Don Franklin, a PhD student funded by the Commission, to rejuvenate current stands of B. arnhemica and develop management practices that will turn this species into a potential commercial bamboo species in Australia. In addition Mr. Franklin has to look into the problem that interferes with the natural vegetation of the said bamboo species and to figure out simple management of the natural stands of B. arhemica (this is in coordination with other collaborators in the project who will be working on the said species too).

On the last day of the visit to the Northern Territory, the group met with the NT project collaborators at the NTDFP office to pin down the activities that NT will do in relation to the project. The draft of experimental treatments to be undertaken on Richard Kingsley’s bamboo plantation, on NTDFP at coastal plains and in the Philippines was presented by Prof. Midmore to everyone. There was an open exchange of ideas and views, which led to a clearer plan of activities for the project.

Recommended follow – Thru Course of Action

The set up of experimental trials in the Philippines and in Australia   should be done as early as possible to keep the project running. In   setting up the experimental trials, the research proponents from both   countries will be initially assisted by the project research officer   from CQUniversity. Periodic monitoring of the progress of the project   will be done to ensure the successful implementation of the project.
In due time, the experimental sites in the Philippines must be able   to quantify the effects of clump management (due to fertilization,   irrigation and clump thinning) on physical, chemical and biological   properties of harvested poles. Research activities that will be   conducted in both Australia and the Philippines will assess the culm   thinning treatments, management of irrigation and nutrition,   water/mineral nutrient uptake rates and simple post-harvest management   practices and their effects on shoot and culm quality.
The project will try to closely link with other existing research on   bamboo especially those that are funded by INBAR. Results from these   researches will support and reinforce the implementation of this   research project.
Sourcing fund (for more additional funds for the running of the project) should be an integral part of the project strategy.
Setting up in the Philippines (in at least one area) of a recognized cooperative of bamboo growers, which will attract investment from the other co-operators in the project to establish small-scale bamboo processing factories.
In NT Australia, close monitoring of growth and development of B. arnhemica in small scale plantation (specifically in Richard Kingsley’s place) with an end view of promoting it as a potential commercial bamboo species will be done.

Impressions/Observations

The training-workshop was a very rewarding and enriching experience. The participants were able to acquire and learn new ideas that broadened their perspective on bamboo production, management and utilization. Though bamboos are not traditionally cultivated and grown in Australia, it was amazing to see productive managed plantations of tropical clump forming bamboo species. If it can be done in Australia where bamboo is not that much as in the Philippines, how much more if we do the same in unmanaged and unproductive plantations in the Philippines? Surely, with the application of fertilization and irrigation coupled with other tested management protocols to bamboo clumps both in the Philippines and in Australia, an increased productivity, improved and effective cultivation and management techniques and overcoming seasonality of shoot production are well underway with the implementation of this project.

Date Prepared: 9 April 2001

NIMFA K. TORRETA