Authors:Rattanawat Chaiyarat
Abstract:Monastery bamboo, Thyrsostachys siamensis, is a gregarious flowering species. They can produce large number of seeds but there are few seeds that can germinate and grow in the natural forest areas. This study is aimed at improving the seed germination and growth rate of seedlings in different media and extending seeds storage to increase bamboo seedling production. Monastery bamboo seeds were planted in different media: pure sand, fine sandy loam mixed with bamboo roots and topsoil under the bamboo forest. We found that germination rates were the same in both topsoil under the bamboo forest and fine sandy loam mixed with bamboo roots (p = 0.134). However, growth of seedlings was greater in topsoil under the bamboo forest than both fine sandy loam mixed with bamboo roots and pure sand (p = 0.001). The treatment of monastery bamboo seeds with potassium nitrate (KNO3 ) 0.1%, smoking, gibberellic acid (GA3 ) at 250 mg/L, 90% sulfuric acid (H2 SO4 ) and untreated control showed that the germination, survival and growth of monastery bamboo was greater in KNO3 and smoked, but H2 SO4 killed all seeds after 15 mins. In all cases, a standard temperature of 4 - 5°C was appropriated when focusing on the percentage of germination
Keywords:Bamboo seed, Propagation, Thyrsostachys siamensis, Nursery production