Food and fiber productivity of asper bamboo in Florida, USA

Abstract

To document the food and fiber productivities of Asper (Dendrocalamus asper) bamboo in central and southern Florida, USA, this study systematically installed 31 permanent sample plots in four farms in 2023 and 108 more in another 11 farms in 2024. These plots represented site preparation, planting stock, and cultural practices used from 2018 to 2021. Individual culm basal diameter (BD), DBH, age, and status were measured and recorded for all new plots in June 2023 and May-June 2024. Subsequent monthly revisits during the six-month growing seasons measured the BDs of new food culms. Predictive equations for fiber culm green and dry weights based on BD and DBH, as well as for food culm green weight based on BD, were developed. Plot size and sample size options for individual farm inventories were assessed using culm basal area per hectare, and fiber culm stand and stock tables for farms were constructed using the permanent sample plot data. Food culm yields were similarly derived from monthly inventories. The annual production of food culms with a BD greater than 7.4 cm reached as high as 9,482 kg per hectare in 2024. By estimating future food and fiber production from observed trends, it is projected that within five years, a Florida Asper farm could generate an annual profit, with profits increasing thereafter to approximately $17,000 per hectare by Year 10. The resulting databases will be used for modeling Asper productivity in Florida.