Dendrocalamus asper (sweet bamboo)
An exotic, very large bamboo grown mainly for its thick, mild-tasting young shoots — the premium edible bamboo shoot in trade — while the heavy culms are also good construction timber. Needs deep, well-drained soil and warmth.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Bamboo
- Type
- Vegetatively propagated species (exotic)
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- Shoot harvest from year 3–4
- Expected yield
- High shoot yield on good soil with water
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- An exotic species recommended under the National Bamboo Mission; no bred cultivar
About this variety
Dendrocalamus asper is a large, thick-walled clumping bamboo from South-East Asia, listed among the National Bamboo Mission's recommended species and grown in India mainly as an edible-shoot crop. Its young shoots are thick, tender and mild — the type most in demand for the fresh, canned and pickle markets — and can be cut from about the third or fourth year. The mature culms, up to 20 m and very heavy-walled, are also strong construction timber. It needs deep, well-drained black or sandy-loam soil, warmth and, for good shoot yield, assured water; it is not suited to frost or to waterlogged ground.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
Shoot harvest from year 3–4
Expected yield
High shoot yield on good soil with water
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Generally hardy; shoots attract borers and rodents
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Thick, mild, tender shoots — the premium edible bamboo shoot, with a real fresh and processing market
- Heavy-walled mature culms are also strong construction timber, so the crop pays two ways
- Fast-growing and high-yielding on deep soil with water
Things to consider
- Frost-sensitive and intolerant of waterlogging — needs a warm, deep, free-draining site
- Cutting shoots for food and letting culms grow for timber pull against each other; a clump has to be managed for one main purpose
- Emerging shoots are a strong draw for shoot borers, rodents and wild boar
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Kerala
- Karnataka
- Maharashtra
- Assam
- Nagaland
- Mizoram