As part of the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the project, “Development of Strategies for Propagule and Shoot Production of Three Bamboo Species,” the Forestry and Environment Research Division (FERD) of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) recently conducted a two-day site visit in Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU) in Magalang, Pampanga.
Dr. Leila C. America, FERD Director, led the M&E team composed of Dr. Nimfa K. Torreta, PCAARRD Industry Strategic S&T Program Manager for Bamboo and Biodiversity, and FERD staff, Ms. Eirene Grace C. Zaragoza.
Spearheaded by Dr. Honorio M. Soriano, Jr., PSAU President, the project aims to determine the best method of propagating bamboo propagules to achieve an increased survival rate of propagules from 50% to 70% and increased bamboo shoot production from 6-7 to 10 shoots per clump per year.
Initial results during the M&E provided the following information:
- The month of collecting branch cuttings for propagules greatly influenced the percentage survival regardless of the species. Across species, the highest survival rate of propagules was in April.
- In terms of number of nodes in branch cuttings, results showed that two-node cuttings is better.
- Marcotted branches had difficulty in producing roots even after five months from marcotting, particularly for bolo and giant bamboo.
- With regards to storage practices for primary processing of newly harvested shoots, wrapping sheathed kawayan tinik bamboo shoots with paper towel and cling wrap before refrigeration minimized weight loss and obtained the highest percentage of recovery of edible portion compared with those wrapped only with paper towel or cling wrap.
Currently, the project is on its second year of implementation. The project team will continue to observe and generate different strategies for improving propagule and shoot production.