Bamboo is one of the most abundant and environmental-friendly and sustainable resources available in NE Region, which is not being used to its full potential. Bamboos, which are widespread in India, offer numerous opportunities in this regard, and there is much potential for expanding it. In view of commercial cultivation and economic utilisation of bamboo as a substitute for the fast depleting timber resources, a comprehensive programme of bamboo for sectional upgradation, enhancement of employment opportunities for artisans, promotion of value-addition through better and well-designed product development, optimum propagation and conservation and diversifying production and processing activities through organized community action has been taken up.

A bamboo farm once started could continue to exist for years on and give you some form of residual income. Bamboo starter plants, meanwhile, are sold from $25 to more than $100. To make sure the bamboo variety you’ve chosen is suited to your place’s climate and soil, grow it on a small scale first. Planting bamboos should follow recommended specifications, particularly with regards to spacing.

Bamboo is a versatile, strong, renewable and environment-friendly material.Bamboo has a lot of economic benefits and that is why it is a brisk business to start a bamboo farms. Because of its strength and resilience, bamboos are utilized as a building material (scaffolding, roofing, flooring et al) in the construction industry, it can be used to make furniture, it is used for decorations, bamboos are used as writing surface, bamboo fiber are used to make high quality paper, bamboo are used to produce musical instruments and it is also used to construct weapons.

Bamboo and Global Challenges

Bamboo is well placed to address four major global challenges :

·         Shelter security, through the provision of safe, secure, durable and affordable housing and community buildings.

·         Livelihood security, through the generation of employment in planting, primary and secondary processing, construction, craft and the manufacture of value-added products.

·         Ecological security, by conservation of forests through timber substitution, as an efficient carbon sink, and as an alternative to non-biodegradable and high-embodied energy materials such as plastics and metals.

·         Food security through bamboo-based agro-forestry systems, by maintaining the fertility of adjoining agricultural lands, and as a direct food source – example, edible bamboo shoots.

Stating that there is a tremendous demand of bamboo in domestic and global market, "Therefore, there is an immediate requirement to increase production of quality bamboo to meet the enhancing demand in other section of the society apart from elevating bamboo-related traditional industry as well as bamboo enterprises."

There is an urgent requirement to make an expeditious development of bamboo sector in India which is impossible without formulating appropriate strategies. The market for bamboo and bamboo products is growing and over the past years has been spearheaded by a rapid increase in bamboo production.

From the year 2010 to 2015, the growth in the bamboo industry should be starting to acquire a definite contour. While the focus in the foundation years was on the industries that were already using bamboo as a raw material – the paper industry and handicrafts – and setting up the infrastructure and investment in new industries, the emphasis in this stage will be on the shift from lower value-added applications to higher value-added ones – bamboo board, flooring and bamboo shoot for example.

Bamboo is an important non wood forest product. In India, bamboo, which is traditionally considered the Poor man wood, and labelled as Green Gold is being considered a major export item by the centre for the global market. Bamboo is perfectly suited to agro forestry as a woody grass. Bamboo has been exploited from natural stands from time immemorial. Bamboo is increasingly being cultivated like other agricultural crops, that is, in professionally managed plantations. The growth of industries utilizing bamboo requires the sustainable cultivation and management of bamboo resources. India is blessed with very rich bamboo resources. Bamboo can play an important role in raising forest cover and a major role in stabilization of the environmental problems. The annual yield in tonnes/ha depends on the environment as well as the species. It is estimated that almost 25% of the biomass in the tropics and 20% in the subtropics, come from bamboo. The cultivation of bamboo as a wood substitute helps to offset depletion of the rain forest. Its rapid growth ensures an effective reconstruction of damaged eco systems. Bamboo is one of many sustainable non wood resources that can generate income for a large forest dependent rural population and it needs to take further steps to realize its full potential. In India, the North East has the largest stock and diversity of bamboos. Though India has the largest area under bamboo, the yield per hectare is very low compared to other countries. Bamboo plantation rising should be encouraged & promoted due to their high value, productivity, uniformity of crop, choice of species linked to peoples' need and industrial need. Bamboo forest constitutes about 13% of the total forest area of the country. About 50% of bamboo produced in India grows in North Eastern region and West Bengal. India has the second largest bamboo reserves in the world after China.

This book basically deals with bamboos in India, the bamboo plant harvesting, cultivating, silviculture and management, collection of material and preparation of cuttings treatment for root induction in cuttings, preparation of nursery and planting nursery management transplanting, pattern of biomass allocation in growing bambusa bamboos, biochemical characteristics of plantation bamboo leaf (bambusabambos) with reference to organic productivity, economic analysis, bamboo plantation, problems and prospects, need for bamboo plantation, consumption pattern of bamboos in India, working and finishing qualities of bamboo, bamboos for structural use, pipe water supply system and drainage, bamboo furniture weaving industry etc.

This book provides a complete detail on Bamboo plantation and its utilization. This book contains chapters like types of bamboo in India, taxonomy, cultivation, harvesting, growth management, bamboo utilization, Bamboo products and many more. This book will be very helpful to all its readers, environmentalists, agronomists, entrepreneurs, industrialists, or anyone with a special interest in bamboo cultivation.

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