Utility of fresh and carbonized bamboo powder as soil components for nursery boxes of paddy rice

Abstract

The utility of fresh and carbonized bamboo powder as soil components for nursery boxes of paddy rice was evaluated to establish a new method for utilizing bamboo trees derived from devastated bamboo forest. Application of fresh and carbonized bamboo powder significantly reduced the weight of the nursery boxes (e.g., by 32% when applied to the soil at a rate of 30% by weight). However, neither significantly affected the growth of rice seedlings or the growth and yield of mature rice. These results suggest that their application to nursery soil could reduce the labor needed for paddy rice production without any negative effect on rice growth and yield. However, applying a high ratio of carbonized bamboo powder (i.e., at >50% by weight) relative to fresh powder significantly decreased the growth of rice seedlings, probably due to micronutrient deficiency that resulted from a higher pH (>9.0) and due to greater osmotic potential resulting from higher soil electrical conductivity, even though their ratio did not significantly affect the growth and yield of mature rice. In conclusion, fresh and carbonized bamboo powder can be used as soil components for nursery boxes of paddy rice, thereby assisting in the rehabilitation of devastated bamboo forest, providing labor savings in paddy rice production, and alleviating global warming as a result of carbon sequestration.