Cultivated bamboo in the Northern Territory of Australia

Trials were conducted on established, yet young (3.5–4.5-year-old), stands of Dendrocalamus asper and D. latiflorus on three properties in the Northern Territory, Australia; one managed to organic standards. Imposed treatments involved fertiliser rates, irrigation regimes and standing culm numbers. In essence, fertiliser application was effective in hastening shoot appearance and increasing their numbers, especially in wetter years, but culm yield was not markedly affected in these young plantations by fertiliser. Dry (winter) season irrigation was apparently not necessary for shoot production; heavy irrigation just before the beginning andduring the shoot season was all that was required. In contrast, culm dry weights were responsive to dry-season irrigation. Maintaining a higher standing culm density, with a greater proportion of 1- and 2-year-old culms enhanced shoot numbers, and an annual strategy of leaving four shoots per clump to develop into culms (to be harvested when just over 3 years of age) was most suitable for shoot and culm production.