VietNamNet Bridge – The project on restoring degraded luong (Dendrocalamus barbatus) forests in the northern provinces of Thanh Hoa, Hoa Binh and Phu Tho has shown satisfactory results.

Dr. Dang Thinh Trieu from the Vietnam Forestry Science Institute said the luong forests in Vietnam have been deteriorating because of bad soil, insects and overexploitation.

“The characteristic of Dendrocalamus barbatus is that it generates bamboo sprouts every year, i.e. one plant can provide bamboo sprouts for many years,” he explained. “As farmers did not provide fertilizer in a right way, the soil has become exhausted and the biomass yield has decreased.”

The project, to be implemented from 2013-2015, aims to recover 182 hectares of the degraded forest and plant 165 hectares of new forest.

Farmers have received support from the project in seeds, fertilizer and technique to improve the land and plant the forests in a sustainable way.

In the past, Dendrocalamus barbatus was planted by farmers who tried to cultivate anywhere they could, including hilltops and rocky land, and harvested anytime they wanted when they needed money.

Trieu said the initial achievements have been satisfactory. The plants have been growing well with a high survival rate of over 90 percent and a bamboo shoot-creation rate of 90 percent.

In many localities, especially mountainous areas, the planting of Dendrocalamus barbatus has been implemented in a large scale, since it is now considered an effective tool to eliminate hunger and ease poverty.

Ha Van Thanh, a farmer in Lang Chanh district of Thanh Hoa province, said he is satisfied with the plantation project.

“Previously, I could earn VND10-12 million only from every hectare of Dendrocalamus barbatus a year. However, nowadays, I can earn VND15-17 million thanks to the new plantation method shown by the project staff,” he said.

Me Thi Kieu, one of the 29 households in Hien Luong Commune of Hoa Binh Province joining the program, said the new cultivation method doubles the yield because pestilent insects can be controlled.

The director of the Hoa Binh provincial agricultural expansion encouragement center, Nguyen Hong Tuan, said the project is encouraged by the local authorities because it improves the land and raises people’s incomes.

“With its natural characteristics, Dendrocalamus barbatus forest would help provide enough water to rice cultivation in valleys and water for people’s daily use,” he said.

It can also bring high benefits to farmers as it is an important input material for paper and handicraft industries.

Dan Viet