Rhizome assemblies and clump form and growth of nine arboretum grown bamboo species have been studied. Rhizome stalk has been found to play an important role in determining the form, shape and growth of clumps. This is due to not only the characteristic length of the stalk in some species but also its role in orienting the rhizome in relation to the centre of the clump and the mother culm in general and the line of gravity in particular. In areas where bamboos are worked heavily it is the rhizome stalk that is first affected and may result in congested clumps in species otherwise monopodial or loosely tufted. Rhizomes are commonly attacked by pathogenic soil ganisms, Parts like rhizome stalks, whole bud of the rhizome may be partly or wholly consumed or otherwise become inoperative and although these parts contribute to the development of rhizome assembly they do not contribute towards the growth of clump. This reduces the rate of growth of clumps considerably. Irrespective of species, only 8 percent of the buds develop into normal culms, 77 percent remaining dormant and 15 percent are damaged by pathogenic soil mlcrooganisms. It has been concluded tha- application of antipathogens individually or in combination with fertilizer will ameliorate the conditions of growth and considerably increase the outturn.

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This paper deals with the iron status of different species of banana leaves ; the effect of application of sulphur in sail on iron mobilization and the effect of injection of iron salt solution on iron absorption by banana leaves.

Soil and leaf samples were collected from the groves of five edible banana species grown in a green house,  Soil  around the selected banana plants was treated with sulphur both in the plots and in pots applving 100, 200 and 300 kg of sulphur per hectare. Two ml of FeSO₄ solution (5000 ppm) was injected on the  pseudosten at the base of the third youngest leaf. After four weeks, soil  and leaf samples were collected for analysis. Sunflower seedlings grown under similar sulphur treated conditions were collected after 20 days.

It was revealed from the results of the analytical data that iron content in banana leaves vary from one species to the other. But most of the species selected for this work contained higher amount of iron in leaves compared to the iron content of sunflower seedlings. The injection of FeSO4 solution in the pseudostems of iron deficient banana plants gave expedited response in iron absorption by leaves compared to the application of sulphur in soil which was done for increasing the mobilization of iron.