Genotypic x environmental interaction in bamboo species in pan India: results from multi-location trial

Despite the fact of the world's second largest resources of bamboo in India, one of the constraints inhibiting the development of value added enterprise in the bamboo sector is the availability and accessibility of superior bamboo species for a specific region and adequate raw material at reasonable prices and of the required quality and maturity, which is widely suitable for managed cultivation regime. To make available quality plant material as well standardized package of practices for farmer/entrepreneur level plantation, Agroforestry Research Centre (AFRC), G.B. Pant University, Pantnagar under National Mission on Bamboo Applications, a 10^th Plan initiative of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India undertaken the responsibility to frame and coordinate the bamboo research in the different agro-ecological zones across the country with the objective to identify the cultivars/species. Seven centres of different agro-ecological regions across the country were selected as part of the coordinated programme. A common framework for multilocational trial had been followed at all the locations with two local and six common species viz., Bambusa bambos, B. balcooa, B. nutans, B. tulda, Dendrocalamus asper and D. hamiltonii. Multi-location trial was initiated in 2005 and concluded in 2010. Among these species, Bambusa balcooa, B. nutans and B. vulgaris were performed superior in most of the centers It is expected that the results will be of great practical significance in shaping the bamboo research at national level in the times to come.