Informatics Publishing Limited

Seema Dhawan , S. C. Mishra , Salil Dhawan

Abstract

Bamboos are tall arborescent grasses used in many aspects of life. It is believed that bamboo is susceptible to termite attack, which restricts its uses. Normally bamboo is harvested without considering its age and height. Therefore, a study on the influence of height and age on natural termite resistance of bamboo becomes very relevant and important. The three bamboo species studied were B. polymorpha, B. arundinacea and D. strictus against the termite M. beesoni Snyder under laboratory conditions. It was found that age has the great influence on the durability of bamboo and height may affect the same. The bamboos harvested after three years of age were more resistant to termite attack than harvested before three years of age. No significant difference was found in the termite damages of the three portions however, a trend is found that the top portion of bamboo is more susceptible to termite attack than the bottom portion. It seems that as the height increases, the termite resistance property decreases. These findings could be effectively used for harvesting of bamboos and selection of suitable portion.

Keywords

Bamboos, Natural Resistance Against Termites, Influence of Height and Age,
Bambusa Polymorpha, Bambusa arundinacea and Dendrocalamus strictus, Microcerotermes
beesoni

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Seema Dhawan , S. C. Mishra , Salil Dhawan

Abstract

Nutrition in insects is primarily concerned with the chemical substances present in the food. Some wood species are known to possess inherent quality of comparative termite resistance, which is attributed to its physical and chemical properties. Bamboos are susceptible to termite attack. Chemical composition of bamboo influences the consumption and assimilation of food by termites. The knowledge of chemical composition of bamboos is essential for the study of possible causes of termite attack. In the present research work, three important bamboo species B. polymorpha, B. aundinacea and D. strictus were studied for their chemical composition in relation to termite attack. The results indicate that the quantity of oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides does not seem to play a significant role in termite resistance quality. Nitrogen content in bamboo is directly related with termite damage. The quantity of lignin, ash content and silica content present in bamboo influence termite damage and play a significant role in termite resistance property of bamboo.

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