STUDIES IN STRUCTURAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF FLOWERED AND NON FLOWERED MANGA BAMBOO DENDROCALAMUS STOCKSII (munro). Thesis submitted to DR. BALASAHEB SAWANT KONKAN

The present study was undertaken in Konkan region of Maharashtra to know the differences in structural and phytochemical parameters of flowered and non flowered Manga bamboo at different stages based on morphological, physical, mechanical and phytochemical parameters. Dendrocalamus stocksii (Manga) is one of the commercially important bamboo species recommended by National Bamboo Mission (Banik, 2008). It is widely distributed in Konkan region of Maharashtra and preferred by farmers for large scale plantation on farm lands and home stead garden. This species, being endemic to Central Western Ghats, is distributed in Karnataka, Goa, Kerala and Maharashtra. The samples of Dendrocalamus stocksiiwere selected from a plantation established in 2007 at Tetawli B Block of Central Experimentation Station, Wakavli under Dr.Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli. Five clumps of different flowering and non-flowering stages were selected from bamboo plantation for study. These five culms from each stage were assess for morphological properties (clum height, fifth internode diameter and length, basal diameter), mechanical properties. (moisture content and specific gravity). And by harvesting each culm are categorized into different parts i.e., rhizome, roots, leaves, flowers and stem. All these plant parts were air dried and then after powdered in (IKA Tube Mill). 10-15 gm powder of each sample was collected. Then each powder bag is labeled by their clump growth stage and used for phytochemical analysis. (protein, starch, reducing sugars, total phenols, crude fat) and GA3 content by HPLC. Among the parameters recorded for bamboo variation stage, height of bamboo, culm basal diameter, diameter at fifth internode and length at fifth internode are presented. The culm height of bamboo of different stages observed significant variation. The highest height of culm was found in full flowered culm of university station (7.89 m), full flowered culm of farmer‟s showed highest basal diameter ( 43.87 mm), diameter of fifth internode was found highest in full flowered culm of farmer‟s field (36.89 mm), the maximum length was found in mm in culm of null flowered stage(33.60 cm). In physical properties specific gravity did not shown significant variation; however, it was highest in culm of full flowered stage of farmer‟s field (0.86), Moisture content showed significant variation and it was highest in culm of initial flower stage among all stages of culm. In mechanical parameters of bamboo culms the modulus of elasticity of static bending did not showed significant variation, Fibre stress at elastic limit was highest in culm of rejuvenated stage (34.49 kg cm -2 ), Modulus of rupture was found to be highest in culm of null flowered stage (3.98 kg cm -2 ), In case of compression maximum crushing stress was found to be highest in culm of rejuvenated stage (356.08 kg cm -2 ) and in tensile maximum force did not varied significantly. In phytochemical parameters, all the parameters shown significant variation expect crude fat for all the stages of bamboo. It was observed that highest protein percentage was found in leaves of initial flowered clum (4.46 %), highest starch percentage was observed in roots of full flowered culm of farmer‟s field (26.94 %), highest reducing sugar percentage was observed in flowers of full flowered culm (2.75 %), highest total phenol percentage was observed in leaves of full flowered clum (28.47 %), are higher crude fat percentage was observed in rhizome of null flowered clum (0.44 %) Significant amount of GA3was observed in the underground parts of D. stocksii in the rejuvenated clumps(2.28 μg ml -1 ). Date:Signature Place : Dapoli. (Mr. Hirole Sagar Kundan)