Article Tissue Culture - Growmore Biotech Ltd from Hosur (TN)

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Dr. N. Barathi, B.Sc. (Agri), M.Sc. (Agri), Ph.D.,
Bamboo Scientist
Founder Director
Growmore Biotech Ltd
Hosur, Tamilnadu.


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Since 2001, working in Bamboo for the selection of high-yielding clones, large-scale propagation of bamboo in Tissue Culture, developing appropriate agronomical practices for cultivating bamboo and developing bamboo as raw material for various industrial applications, such as Power Generation, Bioethanol, Bio-CNG and Charcoal.
He is working in the Bamboo sector for the past 18 years, worked as a Technology Partner for National Mission on Bamboo Applications, Member in the Bamboo Steering Committee for Govt. of Tamil Nadu and Govt. of Gujarat. He is also serving as a Task Force Member for INBAR (International Network for Bamboo and Rattan) China in the area of Bamboo propagation and cultivation, and visited African Countries, viz. Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania, Rwanda, and South Africa to promote bamboo cultivation. He is a member of NITI Aayog’s sub-committee on bamboo cultivation as well as an Advisory Member of the Ministry of Rural Development- GOI, Department of Rural Development (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Division) for the cultivation of bamboo in the rural area for the lively hood.

There are many species of bamboo such as Bambusa balcooa, Bambusa tulda, Bambusa nutans, Dendrocalamus stocksii, Thyrsostachys oliveri among which Beema Bamboo developed out of balcooa is one of the most suitable cultivable species for energy plantation.
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Beema Bamboo belongs to Bambusa balcooa species and it is a special Bamboo clone developed through the conventional breeding method and without involving GMO technique.
Beema bamboo can be grown everywhere, from small farms to large-scale farms, and it is a
• Fast-growing bamboo species,
• Thorn less,
• High yielding,
• Suitable for cultivation as a field crop
• Clump forming and non-invasive
• Sterile / Non-Flowering, do not produce seeds and do not die hence once planted, replanting is not necessary even for centuries. It has a Calorific value of 4,000 K.Cal / kg energy and 1 to 2 % ash content. It is highly suitable for both combustion and gasification systems of power generation.

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ADVANTAGES OF BEEMA BAMBOO
• Cultivation requires less cultural operation and hence the
labour requirement is less
• Its biomass has a higher energy value (4,000 kcal/kg)
• It does not require replanting for several decades – 100 yrs
• It keeps on growing as long as the water and nutrients are provided
• It can be made to grow even in a degraded soil
• It is relatively free from pests and diseases.
• It has got higher bulk density and lower ash.
• It is a source of bio-renewable energy to replace coal and other energy sources.
• It has no sulphur content as against coal.

During the past 18 years Growmore Biotech Ltd has standardized the protocol of propagation of Bamboo plants by Tissue Culture for different species such as Bambusa balcooa, variety: Beema Bamboo, Bambusa tulda, Bambusa nutans, Dendrocalamus membranaceus, Dendrocalamus asper, Dendrocalamus brandisii, Dendrocalamus stocksii, Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, Thyrsostachys oliveri etc. The plants propagated were exported to 22 different countries and all the states of India, right upto Punjab and Arunachal Pradesh.
Growmore Biotech Ltd has developed three models of bamboo plantation based on the end use of bamboo and recommend the following spacing:
Model-1:
High-Density Method: First Harvest: 3rd year No. of required Plants: 1,000 plants/acre
Spacing: Row to Row: 10 feet and Plant to Plant: 4 feet Uses: Biomass such as Power Generation, Bio-CNG, Bio-
Ethanol, Bio-Petrol/Diesel, Activated charcoal, Vegetables/ Banana staking etc.,

Model-2:
Medium Density Method: First Harvest: 4th year
No. of required Plants: 500 plants/acre
Spacing: Row to Row: 12 feet and Plant to Plant: 7 feet
Uses: Paper pulp, furniture, etc.,

Model-3:
Low-Density Method: First Harvest: 5th year
No. of required Plants: 200 plants/acre
Spacing: Row to Row: 15 feet and Plant to Plant: 15 feet
Uses: Construction, poles, etc.,


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Beema Bamboo Cultivation for Power / Electricity Generation:
1 Kg of Beema bamboo biomass will produce 1 unit of Electricity. A biomass Power Project of 1MW (1 MW / hour or 7200 MWhours / year) can continuously produce electricity for several years with 200 acres (80 hectares) of Beema Bamboo energy plantation cultivated under “Hi-Density Plantation” as per the precision farming methodology developed by Growmore Biotech Ltd.
Beema Bamboo Cultivation for Bio-Ethanol:
Beema bamboo contains 65% of digestible cellulose and hemicellulose into ethanol, because of which 4 kg of biomass is sufficient to produce 1 litre of ethanol. The Beema bamboo under precision farming along with appropriate Agriculture inputs, produces cellulosic ethanol of 10,000 to 12,000 lit per acre per year. The big challenge to increase ethanol production to meet 20% of blending, can be met easily by the production of cellulosic ethanol from Beema bamboo in 3.5 years time. 2,000 acres or 800 hectares of Beema bamboo cultivation is sufficient to produce ethanol of 60,000 ltrs / day, 18 million ltrs / yr continuously for 3-4 generations.
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Beema Bamboo Cultivation for Bio-CNG:
Bamboo biomass of 8 kg would produce 1 kg. of CNG gas and 4 kg. of dry undigested biomass having Lignin as a major component. The gas is scrubbed and cleaned from carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulphur compounds. The processed biogas is compressed into bio-CNG and filled in dispensable gas cylinders. The undigested Lignin mass is converted into briquettes / pellets as by-products. 8kg. of bamboo biomass will produce 1 kg. of “gas” and 4 kg. of briquettes / pellets in the process. 350 acres of Beema bamboo cultivation is sufficient to produce 5,000 kg of Bio-CNG every day continuously for generations.
Beema Bamboo for Coal Substitution:
Bamboo is convertible into charcoal in a specially designed kiln and depending on the temperature of the kiln, the quality of Bamboo charcoal gets altered. Regular charcoal has a surface area of 50 to 100 sq. mtr / gm while the charcoal from Beema bamboo has 900 to 950 sq mtr. / gm. Pyrolysis is the thermal decomposition of biomass in an oxygen-free environment at a temperature between 400°C to 900°C. The process results in the release of Syngas and a residue of charcoal. The charcoal formed is known as bio-char and it is a stable carbon with a property of high adsorption of chemicals. The Beema bamboo can be used as a substitute in the form of biomass bamboo chips or pellets wherever we are using coal. Now, the cement industries are giving importance to the usage of Beema bamboo biomass for co-firing the limestones. The usage of fossil fuels will be completely eliminated by increasing Beema Bamboo cultivation.
Environmental Benefit of Beema Bamboo: Apart from the above commercial uses Beema bamboo, it has the highest potential for Environmental use. One established Beema bamboo plant sequesters around 400 kgs of Carbon dioxide every year from the atmosphere and releases 320 kgs of oxygen. In other words, one Beema bamboo is equivalent to the breathing of one human being, because every human being takes 280 kgs of oxygen and releases 380 kgs of Carbon dioxide every year.
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The benefit to the farmers:
Today farmers are facing difficulties in continuing agriculture in many parts of the country due to several reasons such as an increase in the cost of labour, non-availability of labour, perishable nature of the agricultural commodity, variation in the price, lack of assured and direct marketing of the product produced. Cultivation of Bamboo as an Energy Plantation is the best solution to address all the above problems apart from a good assured earning to the farmers as compared to the present day crops.
Cultivation of Bamboo will certainly ensure a return of Rs. 80,000 to 1,00,000 / acre/year, which is more lucrative than many other agricultural crops being cultivated today. In fact, the average return per acre in farming is less than Rs.10,000/- per annum with many problems and uncertainty in realizable income. Bamboo being the best “Carbon Sinking plant” and the market for carbon sequestration is increasing, bamboo will be the best alternative crop for farmers with assured income.

CONTACT :

Dr. N. Barathi, B.Sc. (Agri), M.Sc. (Agri), Ph.D.,
Bamboo Scientist - Founder Director
Growmore Biotech Ltd
41-B, Sipcot Phase-II, Hosur, Tamilnadu-635130
Email:barathigrowmore@yahoo.com
Phone Number: 04344 - 260564 / 260565

Website : http://www.growmorebiotech.com/
https://beemabamboo.blogspot.com/p/beemabamboo.html?m=1
 
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