Moso bamboo is a fast growing species native to China. It can reach heights of 10-18 meters and has many economic and environmental benefits. Moso requires sub-tropical climates, fertile soil, and proper cultivation techniques to realize its high productivity potential over a lifespan of 200 years with management or 40-60 years without. Its uses include construction materials, furniture, fuel, pulp/paper, textiles, food, and more, contributing greatly to China's bamboo industry and economy.
1. 毛竹 Moso
L’ultima settimana di Luglio 2014 abbiamo avuto
la visita del Prof. Tan, nostro consulente dalla Cina,
che ci ha lasciato questo breve estratto sulla
coltivazione del bambù gigante Moso.
Prof. Tan
2. About Moso
• Latin Name: Phyllostachys pubescens
• large-sized runner, family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, genus
Phyllostachys
• fast growth, high productivity, good timber, multiple application, remarkable
economic, ecological and social benefit
3. Rhizome monaxial, spreading horizontally; culm monopodial, straight,
drooping at top, 10 -18 m high, 28 m highest, diameter 8-15 cm, 20-22 cm
thickest; internode cylindrical,10-25 cm long, 45 cm longest; branching
high, usually starting above 2 m; two branches per node; leaf lanceolated,
5-10 cm long by 0.5 - 1.2 cm wide (leaves are bigger at seedling stage)
4. Shooting in March - May, winter shoot white-yellow or pale yellow,
spring shoot purple-brown or brown-green, with brown spots on
sheath.
Shoot productivity: 7.500 – 15.000 Kg/Ha
Flowering in April - May,
seeds mature in August - September,
caryopsis
5. Yunnan China
Zhejiang China
Sichuan China
Geographical distribution
• Native to Zhaotong city, Yunnan China, 1333.3 ha primeval bamboo forest;
• Mainly distributed along middle and lower Yangtze river, taking up 80% of total
moso plantation in the world;
• over 200 years of cultivation in Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi and Hunan
• now introduced to 22 provinces and cities in China
6. Brazil
Japan
Italy
•Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand,
Laos, Indonesia, Philippines,Israel
•America, Cananda, Mexico, Brazil,
Argentina
•Italy, Portugal, Germany, France,
Belgium
•Kenya, Ethiopia, Congo, South Africa
•Australia, New Zealand
7. Optimal climate and soil
Moso grows best in sub-tropical climate with four distinctive seasons,
annual average temperature 15-17 ℃, annual precipitation 1000 mm
above, with rainfall or/and snow in winter and spring
grows good at climate with annual average temperature 12-20 ℃, annual
precipitation 700 mm above (rainfall in shooting season shall be more
than 30mm), minimum temperature above -16 ℃, maximum temperature
below 45 ℃.
8. Moso prefers fertile and weakly acid soil, soil depth no less than
50 cm, soil organic matter content no less than 5%, PH value
5.0 - 7.0.
It grows OK when soil depth is no less than 30 cm, PH 4.0 - 7.5.
9. growth of moso
Life span of moso forest
•200 years above - intensive management
•60 years - extensive management, or no management
•40 ~ 50 years - over cutting, or flower caused by high temperature, cold,
drought etc.
•30 ~ 40 years - overdosage of phytohormone
10.
11. growth of seedlings
1-year old seedlings usually 40 - 60 cm high, clumping, 5-10 culms per clump
2-year old seedlings in form of both clumping and running
3-year old seedlings in form of running
4-year old seedlings lose tillering ability at stump
growth of rhizome
•rhizome runs to any direction where soil is loose and fertile, turns or jumps
out of ground when meeting hard soil or rock.
•rhizome grows annually 1~ 2 m long in nursery , 4 ~ 5 m long in loose soil
•rhizome bud starts to grow in April ~ May, reaches peak growth in July ~ Sept,
and ends in November.
•life span of a rhizome is around 10 years, 1~2 year old rhizome is strongest
at reproduction.
12.
13. growth of shoot
lateral buds on rhizome expand in Sept ~ Nov, grow to underground winter
shoot in Dec ~ next Feb and shoot out of ground in Mar ~ May.
winter shoot sells good price, but low productivity
spring shoot is of high productivity, but low price
14. growth of young culm
shoot grows slowly at the beginning but speed up gradually, reaching 100 -
150 cm growth per day, then slows down. Branches and leaves will start to
grow at later period. It takes around 30 days for young culm to reach full
height.
15. growth of mature culm
When height growth of young culm finishes, height, diameter and volume of culm
will almost remain the same. branches and leaves continue to grow, dry matter in
culm wall increases and stay stable in year 4~6. Since the 8th year, culm
senesce and show negative growth.
life of a single culm
is 10 ~ 12 years.
16. High-Yield Cultivation technique
choose the right climate and soil
condition for moso
Italy has a territory of 301,000 square kilometer, of which 23% plain, 42%
mountainous, over 21% covered by forest.
highest elevation 4810 m, most area less than 100 m.
most area is in subtropical Mediterranean climate, 2-10 ℃ in January,
minimum temperature 0~15 ℃,average temperature in July 23~26
℃,maximum temperature 32~43 ℃.average precipitation 600~1100
mm.
based on data above, around 85% of area in Italy is applicable for
moso plantation.
17.
18. To realize fast growth, high and stable productivity, shall choose land with soil
depth over 50 cm, ph value 5~7, lee sunny (at high elevation) or lee shady
side (in dry region) to grow bamboo.
19. soil preparation
• Soil preparation starts 30 - 90 days ahead, so that soil can be exposed to sun
for months, which will enhance survival rate of plantation and enusre fast growth.
• land with slope < 15 degree, soil shall be cultivated fully by machine at 30 ~50
cm deep. Remove big stones and roots. Apply 30 ~ 45 MT animal manure per
ha or 45 ~ 60 MT compost per ha.
20. land with slope 16 ~ 25 degree, soil shall be cultivated in strip (1~1.5 m wide) at
30 cm deep. Apply 15 ~ 20 MT animal manure per ha or 30 ~ 45 MT compost
per ha.
land with slope >26 degree, soil shall be cultivated in spot (60 cm x 60 cm x 40
cm) at 30~50 cm deep. Apply 10 kg animal manure per hole or 15 ~ 20 kg
compost per hole.
Planting density
• 625 planting holes per hectare (4 m by 4 m) in area with high temperature
and humidity, deep and fertile soil
• 1111 planting holes per hectare ( 3 m by 3 m) in area with low temperature
and humidity, thin and not so fertile soil.
21.
22. planting technique
• topping off at 30~40 cm high for bare rooted seedlings, remove 90%
branches and leaves
• topping of at 40~50 cm high for potted seedlings
acclimatation
• seedlings in green house or shade house shall be acclimated for 15~30
days before moving to plantation site.
planting season
• Planting shall not happen in March ~ May when shoots come out. The best
time for bare-rooted seedlings is rainy days before shooting starts. For
potted seedlings, any time in rainy season is OK. better 2 more rainy
months after plantation.
23.
24. Planting method
bare-rooted seelings: plant obliquely,
15~30 degree to ground, 80% covered
by soil, roots 10~15 cm to surface.
Base fertilizer
apply 100 grams granular NPK compound per
hole when planting as base fertilizer, mix
fertilizer with soil and cover around roots.
Potted seedlings: plant vertically,
remove pot, place seedling in the
middle of the planting hole, cover roots
with fertile soil, press tight; fill up hole
with soil and press tight again; put
another 3~5 cm loose soil at top,
roots 20 ~ 25 cm from surface.
25. Watering
no need of watering if planting in rainy day, otherwise water once after
planting.
Management of juvenile plantation
This refers to management in the first 4 ~ 6 years after plantation, when
culm reaches around 8 cm.
protecting plantation from damage
close up plantation away from human and livestock damage. Protect
plantation from forest fire, disease etc.
26. Interplanting
in the first two years after plantation,
dwarf crops like beans, penuts can be
planted inside bamboo groove. crops
stand around 1 m away from bamboo.
Crop stocks can be paved on ground to
keep moisture and humidity, and prevent
weeds, or buried inside soil as organic
fertilizer.
weeding
weeding once in May ~ June when weeds grow to 10~20 cm high,
once in Sept ~ Oct before weeds set seeds.
27. Fertilization
• 225 ~ 375 kg N fertilizer per
hectare before shooting;
• 225 ~ 375 kg NPK compound
per hectare in June - July for
rhizome growth
• 150 ~ 300 kg P.K fertilizer
per hectare in Sept ~ Oct
• 150 ~ 300 kg farmyard
manure per hectare in winter
every two years.
Thinning
• at the end of the third and fifth year after plantation, cut weak and small
culms. Keep culms evenly distributed.
28. topping off
• if heavy snow happens in winter,
remove top of moso at 70%
height so that culms will not be
damaged by snow.
29. management of mature plantation
shooting period can be devided to early period, peak period and late period.
Shoots at early and peak period have rich nutrients and grow fast, except few
small and dense shoots shall be removed. shoots at late period are usually
weak due to decrease of nutrients, shall be mostly removed except those in
empty land.
Keep 800 ~ 1000 health and strong shoots per hectare each year.
30.
31. cleaning forest land
Collect branches, leaves and leftovers after
cutting, chip them for fertilizer or industrial
processing.
weeding & fertilization
• weeding once a year in May ~ Sept when
weeds reach 20 - 30 cm high. fertilizing
once soon after weeding, once before
shooting.
• 3 ways of fertilization: broadcast or furrow
application or stump fertilization. Standing
density of 3 different fertilization is 26%,
40.4% and 47.9% respectively.
32. Stump fertilization
• drill through old stumps from previous harvest, put 100 ~ 200 g N.P.K
compound (5:2:1) per stump, cover stump with soil.
• Stump fertilization has 3 advantages:
• 1- fertlizer is fully absorbed through
underground rhizome system without loss;
• 2- cause no influence on soil
• 3- speed up decay of old stump
33. loosening soil & removing old stumps
loosen soil once in winter every 2-3 years, 20 ~ 30 cm deep, remove old
rhizomes and stumpes, add 30~45 MT oganic fertilizer per hectare.
Topping off
In area with heavy frost/snow in winter, top of culms shall be removed before
frost / snow comes.
34. Proper cutting
Harvest rule:
cut the old, keep the young; cut the small, keep the big; cut the weak, keep
the strong; cut the dense, keep the sparse; cut the inside, keep the outside
Cutting intensity
keep all 1 ~ 3 year old culms, cut 10 ~ 20 % of 4 ~ 5 year old culms, cut all 6
year old above culms. Cutting intensity 20~25%
35. Forest structure
ideal structure: 3750 ~ 4500 1 ~ 5 years old standing culms per hectare.
Keep 750 ~ 1.000 culms per hectare per year. Diameter kept 10 ~ 15 cm.
Cutting Season
best cutting season: winter (November ~ Feburary).
No cutting from March ~ July.
Cutting method
selective cutting: cut all 6 years and above culms, some 4~5 years old culms;
strip cutting: cut all culms every 3~6 m wide stripe.
cutting height less than 5 cm above ground.
36.
37. Application of moso
totally 9 million ha bamboo forest in China, 6 million ha with artificial management. moso
forest takes up 70% of total, around 4.2 million ha.
Total output value of Chinese bamboo industry reached 180 billion RMB and moso
contributes 80%, around 140 billion.
Moso is widely used in construction, furniture, fuel, paper-making, packing, transportation,
medicine, food, textile, tourism, farming etc.
around 6000 moso products include but not limited to daily necessities, handicrafts,
plywood, paper, textile, charcoal, vinegar, shoot, drink, flavone etc.
Social benefit
take moso sea in Sichuan as example, 3000 ha, 112 RMB per ticket, total income from
tourists per year is 1 billion RMB.
Moso sea in Yunnan province, 200 ha, planted in 2006, open to public in 2010. each
ticket sells 20 RMB. income from tourists reaches 10 million RMB. income from shoot,
timber and seedlings reach 6 million RMB.
Ecologic benefit
studies show that bamboo forest releases O2 by 35% more than tree. One hectare of
bamboo forest can absorb 12 MT CO2.
well-developed rhizome system can hold water and soil better than tree.