Propagation Techniques for Highland Bamboo (Arundinaria alpina) in the Choke Mountain, Northwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

With the aim of identifying improved propagation techniques that can be applied in a larger scale plantation, six types of vegetative propagation materials obtained from three A. alpina landraces (TIFRO, WELELE and WONDE) were evaluated for their performance under field condition in the Choke Mountain, northwestern Ethiopia. The three techniques namely stump, rhizome and whole-culm had fastest shoot emergence (21-22 days) and superior performance during the four Months period After establishment (MAE).Shoot height was 262, 233 and 193 cm for stump, rhizome and whole-culm with respective to diameter at breast height of 1.0, 1.1 and 1.5 cm 4 MAE, respectively. The whole-culm method also produced the maximum number of shoots (10 new shoots per propagule), along its stem length (at the upper, middle and butt positions excluding its lower one-third portion) but branch cuttings and culm cuttings had slow shoot emergence (average 30 days) and very poor performance. In general, TIFRO and WELELE landraces had faster shoot emergence (21-23 days) and significantly higher number of new shoots than WONDE landrace. Shoot emergence of the offset (traditional) method was delayed up to the next shooting season (11 MAE) but its performance, including survival rate of the propagules (85%), was superior at that season. New shoots from stump, rhizome and whole-culm were found to be prone (survival rate 17-26%) primarily to strong wind and storm and most probably moisture fluctuations under field condition after four months period hence further research on silvicultural practices that can maximize their persistence is required.

Keywords: cuttings, landraces, offset, rhizome-based propagation, Yushania alpina