Effect of Different Potting Types and Different Organic Manure Levels on Early Stages of Bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper) Growth inside Oil Palm Plantation in Low Country Wet Zone (WL 2a) in Sri Lanka

Bamboos are naturally propagating both sexually and asexually from seeds and rhizomes. Dendrocalamus asper is one of the popular multipurpose bamboo species in Sri Lanka and lack of research conducted in the country. Therefore to recommend proper potting type, basal dressing and planting hole dimensions are timely important. The objectives of the present study were to identify effective potting type with proper pot height and suitable basal dressing at nursery stage and effective planting hole dimension at field level along with, measure the vegetative growth of Dendrocalamus asper. A field trial conducted at Thalgaswella estate (WL2a) in Galle district, Sri Lanka from May 2019 to March 2020. At the nursery stage seedlings were arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with twelve replicates. At the field level plants were arranged in Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD) with six replicates and data were statistically analyzed by using software (SAS version 9.1). According to the results, nursery with 10” height black polythene pot with sand: coir dust: compost: top soil in 2; 1; 3/4; 1/2 potting media and at field level bamboo plants planted in 2 x 2 x 2 ½  feet size hole was shown the highest growth performance at 6 months after field establishment. Therefore it is recommended to use 10” height black polythene pot with the ratio of sand: coir dust: compost: top soil in 2; 1; 3/4; 1/2 potting media at nursery level. When transfer plants to field planting 2 x 2 x 2 ½ feet planting hole is more suitable.