Bamboo as an alternative source of energy

There are over a 1000 species of bamboo

Bamboo is an amazing and versatile, rapidly renewable resource

- BigBamboo; Ecuador, South America

Bamboo farming is a lead towards the right direction in the

management of the environment; - Enep objective

Bamboo farming integrates economic development and

environmental protection; - Enep objective
Ensure Environmental Sustainability (MDG)

Bamboo farming supports sustainable livelihoods;

Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty (MDG)
Achieve Universal Primary Education (MDG)

The bamboo seedling can sow a future of prosperity INBAR

Some species are more relevant to us than others

Bamboo is the common term applied to a broad group of

over (1250 species) which varies from small annuals to
giant, solid timber bamboo ranging from 10 cm to 40 m
in height.
Bamboo nicknamed the wonder plant, is the strongest
and fastest growing woody plant on earth, and supplies a
global trade worth US$2 billion per year.
Bamboo is already in everyday use by about 2.5 billion
people, mostly for fiber and food.
Literature on bamboo productivity is scarce.
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OXYTENANTHERA ABYSSINICA
(Solid bamboo)

Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Botanical description:
Oxytenanthera abyssinica (lowland bamboo) is a clump forming,
solid stemmed bamboo. It is a drought resistant shrub or small tree
which survives even in the savannah woodland and in semi-arid
wooded grasslands.

It grows with a minimum annual rainfall of between 350 and 800

mm.

Its been seen to grow in an altitude of up to 2000m above sea-level,

but mainly at 3001500m. It torrelates average annual temperatures
of between 20 to 27C, with monthly average daily maxima of 30 to
36C and, daily minimal of 7 to 17C.

Oxytenanthera abyssinica

The culms of this species, mature at an

early age of 3 to 4 years, and this makes
the cutting age relatively short.
On one acre, you can plant up to 100
seedlings with a spacing of 5 m by 5 m
square. From the third season onwards,
several shoots are produced annually.
Rhizomes penetrate 30cm in 3 years.
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Oxytenanthera abyssinica
Growth and development:

Clump longevity for this species is estimated at 40 years.

The stems mature in 3 years and may survive for 8 years, but
they are over-mature and unsuitable for harvesting from 6
years of age onwards.
Clump diameters range from 1m to 8m, and clumps may
contain 20200 (exceptionally up to 300) stems with 23
internoted of 32cm.

Oxytenanthera abyssinica
Diseases:
Leaf rust (Kweilingia divina, synonym: Dasturella divina)
which can be controlled using any broad spectrum fungicide.

Oxytenanthera abyssinica
An overview of the advantages of this bamboo:
A plantations of O. Abyssinica can be a continuous source of
bamboo charcoal briquettes for household cooking to prevent deforestation,
Firewood for tea factories,
Pulp for paper industries,
Hardboard, particle board and pulpwood pipes,
Crates, fish-traps,
Horticultural or garden stakes,
Canoe poles, arrow and spear shafts,
Leaves as fodder,
Plants for hedges,
Windbreaks,
Ornamental plants,
Soil erosion control
Rehabilitation of degraded sites,
Biomass production,
Carbon credit for major investors etc.

Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Advantages of this bamboo:

It is estimated that this bamboo species can
yield 10-33 tons of dry stems per hector per
year.
A pure stand of Oxytenanthera abyssinica
contains up to 750 clumps and 30,000 stems per
hectare.
Each clump is harvested once or twice a year.
The minimum number of nine meters tall poles
per harvest, is approx. 20-35. Each pole can sell
for up to Kes 200.
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Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Advantages of this bamboo cont..:

This superbamboo can produce a total
biomass of 19,000 kg/ha and upto 9-10
tons of bamboo charcoal per hectare per
year with a minimum rainfall of 350 - 800
mm.
An acre of land will fetch charcoal worth
about Kes 73,000 per year, in an arid
region in Kenya.
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Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Advantages of this bamboo cont..:

High volume of quality raw material for
building, manufacture of wooden products
like tiles and, perquets, toothpicks,
matchsticks, incense-sticks, scaffolding
sleepers, flower/horticultural stands,
industrial wood for energy e.g. in tea
factories.

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Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Advantages of this bamboo cont..:

This clump-forming bamboo grows with a
robust rhizome of up to 10 cm in diameter
conducive for fencing poles. Each club
600/4 ft poles, per year x Ksh 200 = Ksh
120,000 per year.

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Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Advantages of this bamboo cont..:

Its shoots are edible while the voliage can
be used as animal fodder.

Supporting sustainable livelihood;

Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty (MDG)
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Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Advantages of this bamboo cont..:

Sap from shoot tips is used for brewing
alcoholic drinks ("ulanzi", 5 - 5.5% alcohol)
similar in taste to beer.

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Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Advantages of this bamboo cont..:

We have seen this species being used as
medicine. Rhizomes used in treating
dysentery, leaves in treating diabetes,
colic and rheumatism, roots in treating skin
diseases, leaf decoction in treating
polyuria, oedema and albuminuria.

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Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Advantages of this bamboo cont..:

Bamboo plays a very valuable
environmental role. Its complex root
system, can act as a fantastic water filter,
removing nutrients and dangerous poisons
such as heavy metals before they get into
the food chain.

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Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Advantages of this bamboo cont..:

It can be used for bamboo-based boards
applications such as particleboards,
medium density fiber board, strand boards
and for pulp and paper manufacturing.

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Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Advantages of this bamboo cont..:

A processing plant can produce a panel
board of 4.8cm x 5m and up to 300 panel
boards per day. Each board will sell at
$12.75 amounting to a daily sale of Kes
313,650. The total labor and material cost
for one panel is $5.09.

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Bamboo has the highest calorific value compared

to any other wooded biomass
Fig. 4 Temperature in the bamboo during the Process

Project Completion Report on Torrefaction of Bamboo, October, 2006, Advanced Bioresidue

Energy Technologies Society (ABETS) Combustion, Gasification & Propulsion Laboratory (CGPL)
Department of Aerospace Engineering Indian Institute of ScienceWorld Bank press, 2006; pg. 14.

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Oxytenanthera abyssinica
Areas of consinderation and advocacy:
NGOs, multilateral organizations and UN agencies that support the
empowerment of women should consider buying seedlings and distribute.

NGOs, multilateral organizations and UN agencies that work with refugees

should establish medium size bamboo forests for refugees and IDPs.

The media should promote the use of bamboo by publishing an article on

bamboo each month. Kitil farm can provide such articles.

Companies that require thermal energy and electrical energy to sustain their
operations should consider bamboo as a alternative source of biofuel.

County Gov. should factor in their budgets financing of sustainable sources

of biofuel and charcoal briquettes (black gold) by buying the solid bamboo
seedlings and establish County Bamboo Nurseries. Total to replicate.

Multilateral Companies like Total and others, should now lead by selecting
bamboo as the preferred solution to poverty, deforestation, ecosystem and
environmental degradation.
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Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Miti ni mali but Bamboo ni mali zaidi !!

Miti tosha but Bamboo tosha kamili !!

because it supports at least 3 MDGs

The bamboo seedling can sow a future of prosperity !!

Thank you
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Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Kitil farm is a licensed open quarantine which operates in

Kenya. We grow bamboo seedlings from seeds. We have a fully
functional bamboo laboratory and a bamboo training centre.

Kitil farm is privately owned and we work in harness with

various arms of the government on different projects. We also
work closely with specialized private sector companies and
consultancies. We have been in existence since 2004. Our
operations are based in Isinya, Kajiando District 40 min drive
from Nairobi.

Email: kitilfarm@gmail.com; Website: www.kitilfarm.com

Tel: 0787456156, 0722729630, 0753683129

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