Axial and Radial Variation of Fibre Characteristics of Bambusa vulgaris

This study was carried out to investigate the axial and radial variations of fibre characteristics of Bambusa vulgaris. There were eighteen treatments for both axial and radial variations. The treatments were replicated three (3) times, in Complete Randomized Design (CRD). The experiment was carried out at the Wood Anatomy Laboratory of the Department of Forest Product Development and Utilization, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan. Three samples (3) stands of B. vulgaris were randomly selected. Samples collected were cut into 10cm discs at 25%, 50% and 75% of the total height (axial positioning). The samples discs were partitioned into two zones which are core and peripheral (bark) layers. From each of the disc, 3 slivers were obtained both from radial and axial positions. Slivers obtained were macerated with an equal volume (1:1) of 10% glacial Acetic acid and 30% Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) at 100 ±2°C. The resulting image on light microscope screen was measured for fibre length, fibre diameter and lumen width.

At 50% sampling height and at outer layer, the highest fibre length of 3.25 mm, followed by 3.06 mm of bamboo sample stand 3 while the least 2.28 mm was recorded in sample stands 2 of 75% axial positioning and at peripheral layer. The lumen width ranged between 3.52 × 10-3 μm to 4.46 × 10-3 μm in the radial direction from the core to the peripheral (bark) of the bamboo. The result obtained for mean values of fiber diameter along the bamboo height ranged from 3.53 × 10-3 µm to 4.46 × 10-3 µm across the three (3) bamboo stands, sampling height and radial direction sampling respectively.

Among the fibre positioning, the fibre collected from 50% of the sampling height have higher fibre diameter, lumen width and fibre diameter at the peripheral region compare to the others.