Effects of High Nutrient Supply on the Growth of Seven Bamboo Species

Abstract

Over the last decade, bamboo has emerged as an interesting plant for the treatment of various polluted waters using plant-based wastewater treatment systems. In these systems, nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations in wastewater can exceed plant requirements and potentially limit plant growth. The effects of two nutrient rates on the growth of seven bamboo species were assessed in a one-year experiment: Dendrocalamus strictus, Thyrsostachys siamensis, Bambusa tuldoides, Gigantochloa wrayi, Bambusa oldhamii, Bambusa multiplex and Bambusa vulgaris. Nutrient rates were applied with a 20:20:20 NPK fertilizer as 2.6 and 13.2 t.ha.yr(-1) NPK to three-year-old bamboo planted in 70 L containers. Morphological characters, photosynthetic responses, and NPK content in bamboo tissues were investigated. Under high-nutrient supply rate, the main trend observed was an increase of culm production but the culms' diameters were reduced. For the seven species, the above ground biomass yield tended to increase with high-nutrient rate. Increasing in nutrient rates also improved the photosynthetic activity which is consistent with the increase of nitrogen and phosphorus contents measured in plant tissues. All the bamboo species tested appears suitable for wastewater treatment purposes, but the species Bambusa oldhamii and Gigantochloa wrayi showed the higher biomass yield and nutrient removaL

Regular Fertilization Effects on the Nutrient Distribution of Bamboo Components in a Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens (Mazel) Ohwi) Stand in South Korea

“…The C, N, and P content of aboveground bamboo components can be estimated accurately by allometric equations, with DBH accounting for 46%-81% of the variation in the C, N, and P content of the fertilized plots and with DBH accounting for 45%-85% in the C, N, and P content of the unfertilized plots (Table A1). This result is consistent with a previous study that demonstrated that allometric equations developed by DBH parameters provided reliable estimates of C contents of Moso bamboo [18]. However, the allometric equations in branches and leaves were not appropriate for the K, Ca, and Mg contents, having low coefficient of determination (r 2 ) values in allometric equations.…”

“…Similar results were observed in seven bamboo species in Reunion Island, with no significant increase in K concentration in leaves with increasing fertilization [18]. A previous study reported that K nutrients may be rapidly translocated from leaves for the growth of new tissues such as culm [18], since K nutrients in bamboo species are the most important element stored by bamboo components such as culm. However, in this study, the K nutrients may not be limited due to the high concentration of available soil K in both treatments (Table 2).…”

“…This result could be associated with the characteristics of culm and branches living for several years. Similarly, other studies observed the increased N or P concentrations in the culm and branches of bamboo [18] and pine seedlings [29] following fertilization. Contrary to these findings, the nutrient concentration of stem wood in matured tree was independent of fertilization [30].…”

“…The mean DBH was similar between the fertilized (10.8 cm) and the unfertilized (10.7 cm) plots. Although a decrease in culm density implies an increase in the diameter of culms [18], the growth of DBH in current-year or >1-year-old bamboo was similar between the fertilized and unfertilized plots despite the different culm density. DBH growth in fertilized plots could be affected by the increased number of new shoots following fertilizer application [19].…”

Phyllostachys edulis (moso bamboo) ages significantly affect soil nitrogen transformation and endophytic microbes but niche differentiations outweigh ages in shaping microbial communities of moso bamboo-soil system

“…Among all bamboo species in China, the most substantial species is Phyllostachys edulis (moso bamboo), with more than three million hectares planted [9,10]. After emerging, the shoot of moso bamboo grows fast, and under suitable conditions, its growth rate could reach 1 m per day [11,12]. Therefore, different agroforest management practices, especially mineral fertilizer applications, have been used to stimulate moso bamboo growth [10][11][12].…”