Understanding the termite resistance of Malaysian commercial bamboo for various applications

Bamboo nodes are an important component for increasing the hardness and stability of growth. However, little is known about how bamboo nodes affect resistance to biological control agents for industrial use. This study aims to analyze the durability differences between node and internode structures against subterranean termites. Two bamboo species, Giganthochloa scortechinii and Giganthochloa levis were investigated to determine their resistance against Coptotermes curvignathus in laboratory (no-choice and choice) and above-ground experiments. Samples measuring 25 mm × 25 mm x bamboo thickness and 100 mm × 40 mm x bamboo thickness were taken from the three portions (bottom, middle, and top) and each portion was subdivided into two parts: nodes and internodes. Moisture content is also determined for each portion and part. Overall, G. scortechinii is more resistant to C. curvignathus than G. levis , and the node section has greater resistance compared to the internode. The resistance of both bamboo species tested increases towards the top of the node and the internode. The weight loss decreases towards the top in all tests, while the nodes show less weight loss compared to the internodes. The visual determination value for G. scortechinii is 7.4 to 9.0 (choice) and 7.5 to 9.2 (no-choice), while 6.6 to 7.5 (choice) and 6.5 to 7.4 (no-choice) for G. levis . The high resistance of the nodes compared to the internodes is closely related to the anatomical structure of the individual parts and the position in the stem.