It is a very interesting study. Keep it up. My observations are restricted to Bamboosa arundinacea and Dendrocalamus strictus which indicates that the gregarious nature though predominant has a subtle sporadic nature in it. Though it is around forty years, I have observed some clumps flower early, while other clumps flower late. Some may flower at different times.
You can make use of this opportunity to mark some late flowering clumps who have higher biomass production. Higher biomass means bigger length, girth, more weight.
The seeds from such clumps may be distributed to some selected growers, research institutes, etc. by doing this you will be helping location and multiplication of champion clumps with a longer gestation period. This is a very important work and I am delighted that you have an opportunity to select the best from nature- who is a genitist of eminence.
Wishing you all the best.
A. C. Lakshmana
India
On 13-May-2014, at 5:08 AM, "EastAfrica BambooPlantation eastafricabambooplantation@yahoo.com [bamboo-plantations]" <bamboo-plantations@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Hi - I have been attempting research the phenology of different populations of Oxytenanthrea abyssinica across its range in Sub-Saharan Africa for some time with very little success. This species has a huge range with several distinct geographic populations, many with seemingly distinct flowering cycles. eg. 7 yrs to 28 yrs (depending on population/locality).This is of course of interest in the plantation context because of potential seed availability of O. abyssinica - Bindura bamboo - across its range at different times. And, anecdotally - different populations have slightly different morphological as well as phenological characteristics. e.g. culm diameter/length/number.Are there any group members with information on historical/current flowerings in their area of interest, or any locality in fact. It could be interesting to build a clearer picture of what is happening with this interesting species/species complex.
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