Bamboo Booms in Africa

Bamboo is a part of life in Asia, and soon it will be in Africa, thanks to the effort of the bamboo enthusiast, Chin Ong of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in Nairobi. "Our role here at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in Nairobi is to prove that planting bamboo is a useful and profitable venture for both urban people and smallholders in African villages", he says. 

Africa is home to many bamboo species including Arundinaria alpina, a species of bamboo native to Kenya, and the giant bamboo Dendrocalamus giganteus. Because of its strength, it is being promoted as a substitute for hard and soft woods and as reinforcement for concrete. Bamboo roots can be useful in cleaning wastewater, according to Ong. The extensive root system can absorb surplus nitrogen, phosphorous and heavy metals found in sewage water, and lock them in the plant so they do not cause pollution in water courses downstream. It can also be a sustainable source of domestic fuel.

Twenty local and exotic species are now being tested to find the best varieties for different uses. 

The complete article is available at http://www.new-agri.co.uk/07/04/develop/dev4.php.