Propagation of high-density carbon bamboo to support smart ecotourism at the Lake Toba, North Sumatera

Appropriate propagation technology to promote bamboo sustainability is important in supporting conservation and industrial needs. As part of smart ecotourism package based on the integrated charcoal and bamboo tourism at Lake Toba, this research aimed to develop appropriate propagation for the selected bamboo species. Various bamboo species were collected and propagated by both ex vitro and in vitro propagation. Survival rate of the selected bamboo shoots after 3 months in the ex vitro planting medium was in the range of 25 to 50% of 10 - 25 planted shoots, from the highest to the lowest rate were Bambusa sp., Dendrocalamus asper, Oxythenantera abyssinica, and Balcoa 36. Meanwhile, the efficiency of the shoot formation in the in vitro medium was in the range of 7 to 13%, from the highest to the lowest percentage were D. asper, Gigantochloa cf robusta, O. abyssinica and Bambusa sp. Various types of explant (leaves disc, shoots tips, and nodal segment) from G. robusta and O. abyssinica were induced in six different combinations and concentrations of induction callus medium. Explant from nodal segment of G. robusta and O. abyssinica showed a positive response, i.e., 6% and 20% consecutively, in the Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium containing 4 mg/L of 2,4-D and 0.5 mg/L of IBA. The nodal segment explant of G. robusta was also able to form callus (13%) on the MS medium containing 6 mg/L of kinetin. A similar efficiency percentage was also obtained from O. abyssinica nodal segment explant on the MS medium containing 3 mg/L of 2,4-D and 2 mg/L of kinetin. This research opens a possibility of cultivating bamboo by in vitro propagation and generating new variety of bamboo with desirable characteristics.