Please visit direct article as shared PDF

Culm-sheaths as well as other vegetative
parts are generally used for the identification
of species of bamboos because flowering
occurs at long intervals. Identification of
species in this group was originally based on
floral characters and where these characters
were lacking or found to be inadequate,
the culm-sheath characters were taken into
consideration. Subsequently, keys were prepared
on the basis of culm-sheath characters
(Chatterji and Raizada 1963). Such keys are
difficult to follow and sometimes confusing.
This is partly due to the lack of proper and
adequate descriptions of culm-sheaths and
partly due to considerable variation existing
in the culm-sheaths themselves even in the
same culm(Peal 1882)-a point that has always

The paper outlines the forest products and forest management research works so far undertaken at the Forest Research Institute of Bangladesh in order to evaluate their contributions in accelerating the process of structural transformation of the economy of Bangladesh. It is observed that forestry and forest industrial research can play a vital role in generating economic forces for big push which is an essential prerequisite for breaking the vicious circle emanating from the dual character of the economy. Attention is given to provide a qualitative assessment of flow of spread effects from forest research to the overall productivity of the economy. Major problem of research management is pointed out in order to develop background discussion for a research diffusion model compatible with the national goal of optimum rate of structural change.

Flowering periodicity and seed germination of Bara bet, Calamus viminalis willd. var. fascicnlatiis Becc.; were studied. It was observed that this species flowers twice in a year i.e. from February to April and again from August to October. Seed ripens after 18 to 22 weeks of flowering. A single plant may yield 2-2.5 kg of fruits in each flowering. A single fruit, on the average, has a diameter of 0.92 cm and weighs o.4og. Seeds germinated after 10 to 18 weeks of sowing. An average of 10 and 26 percent seeds of the first (autumn) and the second (spring) phases of flowering respectively, germinated.

A study was made on the effects of application of N, P and K on the growth of Teak seedlings in the nursery. Three -concentrations (0,250 and 500 mg/plant/month) of each of N, P and K were tried in all 27 treatment combinations. Height and diameter increase and total oven dry weights were taken as the indices of growth. Chemical analysis of the plant materials were also done for the determination of the intake of chemicals.

Three-element combination of 250 mg of each of N,P and K applied per plant per month gave the most satisfactory result.

In the wake of plausible expulsion threat
from the plain forests of Dacca-Mymensingh
areas and the northern zone of Bangladesh
due to expanding population pressure, the
necessity, scope and arguments for afforestation
of Unclassed State Forests (USF) is now
much more genuine, wider and stronger respectively
than before. These USF areas
constitute a large tract of contiguous land,
free from the vices of legal complications
and from all norms of scientific land use,
land classification and land capability considera
tions, should be devoted to forestry. This
should not be viewed as merely an argument
for increasing forest areas but be taken as
a legitimate and just demand of the land
itself. Moreover, when Bangladesh is under
a population pressure of nearly one thousand
persons per square mile, the highest in
the world, it is unpardonable, with the present
knowledge of scientific land use, to

The paper outlines a programme for the establishment of seed sources of forest trees in Bangladesh. Five species, Garjan, ‘Dipterocarpus tnrbinatus’, Gamar, ‘Gmelina arborea Sal, ‘Shorea robusta Jam ‘Syzygium grander‘ and Teak ‘Tectona grandis’ were given the highest priority. Progress in the selection of seed stands, selection of Provisional Plus Trees (PPT), mapping the natural distribution of the four indigenous species and the establishment of clonal orchards of Gamar and Teak is outlined.

Keora, Sonneratia apetala, Ham. a moderate sized species of the Sunderbans, Bangladesh, was investigated for peeling into 1.5 mm(r/r6 in) thick veneer. Logs were peeled at ambient temperature for determining the optimum knife angle and nose bar pressures in order to get smooth veneer of uniform thickness. Thickness measurements were taken and graphs were plotted. Shewharf’s control charts were used for the determination of optimum values of knife angle and nosebar pressure. It was found that a knife angle of 91⁰ 30′ and a horizontal opening of 1.158 mm (0.0456 in) gave the optimum values in the Coe Lathe settings for peeling 1.5 mm (1/16 in) Keora veneer. This limited study reveals that Keora peels well without difficulty. The yield, however, was low compared to most other veneer species. Decay and particularly heart rot, peculiar to this species, are responsible for the low yield.

Seven bamboo clumps, locally known as Baijjya bansh (Batnbtisa vulgaris Schrad.) flowered in the village Faridarpara near Bardarhat area of Chittagong town. Flowering started during February, 1979 in all these clumps. Out of the seven clumps, five flowered completely and died within 18 months. The remaining two clumps were found to be part-flowering in nature and were still in healthy and green condition, even after three years of flowering. Flowering which started during February, in both the part and the complete-flowering clumps continued till August-September with a pause from October to January. Flushes during flowering period were not purely continuous but it alternated with short interflushing gaps of 5 to 12 days.