“Beema Bamboo”: A clone of “Bambusa balcooa” can mitigate climate change

Contents

• 1
• 2 What is the News?
• 3 About Beema Bamboo:
• 4 Key Features of Beema Bamboo:
• 5 About Bambusa balcooa bamboo:

What is the News?

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University(TNAU) has designed an ‘oxygen park’ within its premises at Coimbatore with Beema Bamboo.

About Beema Bamboo:

• Beema or Bheema Bamboo is a superior clone selected from Bambusa balcooa. It is a higher biomass yielding bamboo species.
  • A clone is an animal or plant that has been produced artificially. For example, It may be produced in a laboratory, from the cells of another animal or plant. A clone is exactly the same as the original animal or plant.
• Developed by: It has been developed by N Bharathi of Growmore Biotech Ltd, the agri-technology company based at Hosur, Tamil Nadu.
• The method used: Beema Bamboo has been developed by the conventional breeding method. It is not a product of genetically modified organisms.

Key Features of Beema Bamboo:

• Firstly, the Fastest Growing: Beema Bamboo is considered to be one of the fastest-growing plants. It grows one-and-a-half feet per day under tropical conditions.
• Secondly, Mitigate CO2 Emissions: Beema Bamboo is said to be the best ‘carbon sink’ to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions. Hence, it can be an excellent choice for making the earth greener and mitigating climate change.
• Thirdly, Permanent Green Cover: Beema Bamboo is sterile. This means it does not produce any seed and does not die for several hundred years. Also, it keeps growing without death. As a result, it is able to establish a permanent green cover.
• Fourthly, Does not Require Replanting for Decades: It is produced through tissue culture. So,  the culms (hollow stem of a grass or cereal plant, especially that bearing the flower) grow almost solid and adapt to different soil and climatic conditions.
  • Hence, after every harvest cycle, it re-grows and does not require replanting for decades.
• Fifthly, Diverse Applications of Beema Bamboo: The Beema bamboo’s calorific value is equal to that of coal. Hence, cement industries can buy this bamboo species for their boilers. Further, Bamboo fibre can also be used by the textile industry for making fabric and garments.

About Bambusa balcooa bamboo:

• Bambusa balcooa is also known as Female Bamboo is a tropical clumping bamboo. It is native to Northeastern India. It is also spread in the regions of Indo-China.
• Uses:
  • This bamboo species is often used as a food source in scaffolding, for paper pulp or wood chips.
  • The length and strength of Bambusa balcooa make it a useful material for the construction industry.
  • Furthermore, it is a drought-resistant species with low rainfall requirements. It can reach yields upwards of 100 metric tons per hectare.

Source: Down To Earth