Bamboo - A source of income for Tribals

Bamboo shoots are not very familiar to this generation.  One of the many reasons is that the bamboo itself is not visible.  Bamboo is a herbaceous plant.  Sprouts are one of the fastest-growing plants in the world.

Adult bamboo can grow up to 45 m in length.  According to the genus, there are 75 varieties of sprouts.  There are 1250 types of branches within them.  Bamboo is one such plant.Bamboos are very important in terms of environment.  It is a well known fact that bamboo plays an important role in raising soil moisture.  That is why many people have started planting bamboo.

Looking back a generation, the fence around their backyard was made of bamboo to keep the habitat safe, so the animals and other creatures would not destroy everything they saw in the backyard.

Bamboo forests were mostly planted along the borders.  This means that it was also used to prevent erosion.  In addition, the possibility of absorption of fertilizers given to other crops is also a factor for doing so.

In terms of life expectancy, bamboo can last from 60 to 100 years.  These begin to flower before the bamboo dies.  From this the ripe berries are produced.  These nuts are also known as bamboo shoots.  Bamboo blooms at a specific time.

In Kerala, the majority of bamboo shoppers are tribals.  This is not only their food but also their source of income.  Since bamboo shoots also have medicinal properties, the forest dwellers get a fair price when they sell it.

Although similar in appearance to rice, it is comparable in taste to wheat.  Bamboo shoots are usually grown by cutting off certain parts.  Red soil is best to cultivate for bamboo.  It is estimated that about 35 tons of bamboo shoots per hectare yields about 5 tons of bamboo shoots per hectare.  The fact that multiple varieties of bamboo can be harvested more than once is an important factor in bamboo cultivation.