Growing Guadua Bamboo in Spain

Hello, I am Valentina Rujeles, a student of a Master's degree in sustainability at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. At this moment I am doing my final thesis of the master and I am doing it on Guadua, a kind of bamboo. While researching and getting to know other people who grow bamboo I came across you and what a wonderful thing you do.

My TFM is on the CO2 sequestration of guadua and the possibility of planting it in Catalonia but I have not found much information that you could perhaps provide me with as there is little literature on the same. The first thing is - up to what absolute minimum or maximum temperature does Guadua stop growing and at what temperature does it die? Also what extreme climates (not tropical or subtropical) can it be planted. I am studying the hypothesis of planting it in the Llobregat delta. Thank you very much.

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⭐ Best Answer:

Hello Valentina, it is reported that Guadua dies when exposed to -2°C for 5 consecutive days. Guadua also needs a humid environment, preferable all year long. I do not know of any successful Guadua plantations in Europe up to this day. You can find more information in this article about the climate requirements for Guadua Bamboo.

Is Guadua angustifolia Edible?

I wonder if Guadua angustifolia is similar to the Chinese kind of bamboo and if it grows all over Latin American nations? Which Latin country can harvest and export bamboo shoots? I am asking 3 questions here. Can anyone help?

Comparing Biomass of Beema with Guadua Bamboo

Do you know how Guadua compares to "Beema" (Bambusa balcooa) in India propagated by Growmore? Beema bamboo is very thick with a small hole so I'm trying to find reliable 3rd party info on the biomass of a culm when we start harvesting, presumably at the end of year 4.

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⭐ Featured Answer:

Beema Bamboo is the solid bamboo compared to other types. “Beema” is a special breed variety by Dr. N. Barathi of Growmore Biotech Ltd., which has a potential to grow very fast and yields very high biomass due to the fact that the wall thickness of “Beema” Bamboo is 3 times more than other bamboo. The carbon content of “Beema” Bamboo is between 46 to 48%. The dry matter production of “Beema” Bamboo under optimum condition reaches 40 to 50 tons per acre or 100 to 125 tons per hectare. The total carbon accumulation every year, after 5 years of growth is from 18 tons to 23 tons per acre, which is equivalent to 69 tons to 80 tons per acre respectively.

Due to this fact, “Beema” Bamboo acts as a “Carbon Sink”. When “Beema” Bamboo is grown individually in the gardens and parks, it sequesters 400 to 500 kg of carbon dioxide every year, thereby reduces the Carbon dioxide in the surrounding places. “Beema” Bamboo generates 70 to 80 CER per acre / year, which is equivalent to 175 to 200 CER per hectare every year.

Carbon sequestration also can be obtained by generating electricity from the renewable biomass of bamboo. One acre of Bamboo produces sufficient biomass to produce 45 MW of electricity through gasification method. Apart from providing 45 CER as Carbon credit directly from the power generation, the process of Pyrolysis generates 7 ½ tons of carbon as bio-char. When the bio-char is supplied to the soil it is eligible for 28 CER as Carbon Credit. The application of bio-char to the soil enhances the crop productivity, improves soil tilt, fertility, water retention. The bio-char in the soil reduces the fertilizer quantity required as well as improves the soil quality of adverse soil resulting in growth of dense vegetation which additionally reduces the soil erosion.

Application of bio-char as soil amendment creates virtually a permanent carbon sink for over 1000 to 2000 years.

Guadua Bamboo Rhizome Morphology

I read about two different rhizome positions of Guadua angustifolia (nearly vertically positioned rhizome with collective feet and horizontally positioned rhizome).

Here in Ethiopia, North East Africa, there is mountain bamboo that has a similar rhizome position (nearly vertically positioned) with collective rhizome feet. I want to compare Guadua angustifolia and Ethiopian mountain bamboo in their rhizome morphology, but I become confused with the two different rhizome positions of Guadua angustifolia mentioned.

I need clarification about rhizome forms of the species. I would appreciate it if you can show me pictures as well.

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⭐ Best Answer:

I'm not exactly sure what you mean with vertical vs horizontal positioned rhizomes but I assume you are referring to Guadua's underground growth habit. So, I think the question should be: Is Guadua angustifolia a running or a clumping type of bamboo?

There is quite some confusion about the rhizome structure of Guadua angustifolia as Guadua species are classified as clumpers, however the reality is quite different...

The long-necked rhizomes can easily extend between 1 and 2,5 meters before turning upwards into a new culm, and outdistancing some bamboos with leptomorph (running) rhizome systems. Rather than "clumping" bamboo, Guadua bamboos are more properly characterized as having a pachymorph rhizome system with a diffuse habit (or "open clumpers") – though even this often understates the matter.

Guadua Bamboo Rhizome Morphology

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