Dendrocalamus stocksii – Plant

Description

Dendrocalamus stocksii known as ‘Marihal bamboo’ in Karnataka, is an important bamboo
species with different end uses. It is a graceful mid-sized non-thorny bamboo species with
loosely spaced solid erect culms ranging from 30-50mm diameter, which provides flexibility in
harvesting, easy management and steady income to farmers. This species is mainly found in
Central Western Ghats from Kasargod in Kerala to Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. It is a valuable
multi-purpose bamboo species used as substitute for cane and rattan in bamboo based furniture
industry. This species has a wide adaptability comes up well in tropical humid, sub humid and
semi-arid conditions under black and red soil conditions. It is grown on farmlands by farmers
mostly on farm boundaries in most of the coastal districts of Karnataka like Dakshin Kannada,
Udupi, Shimoga and Uttara Kannada and Belgaum. Due to poor seed setting and non-gregarious
nature of this bamboo, genetic diversity could be highly restricted and continuous vegetative
propagation from a narrow genetic base could have serious implication for conservation of the
species.
IWST has been working on this species since the past one decade and has standardized its macro
and micropropagation protocol. Information on distribution, morphology, propagation, growth
characteristics, biomass production, mechanical properties, suitability in agroforestry practices,
pest and disease problems as well as utility and economics of raising plantations has been
meticulously compiled in this booklet. It gives me immense satisfaction to note that this
compilation has covered almost all aspects on this important bamboo species of Karnataka.
Owing to its importance, the National Bamboo Mission has rightly prioritized this species for
large scale cultivation in Peninsular India.
It is hoped that the information provided in this booklet will be of immense use to various
stakeholders dependant/planning to utilize this multi-purpose bamboo species.