Fungal degradation of bamboo samples

The degradation of several Asian bamboo species by white-, brown-, and soft-rot fungi was investigated under laboratory conditions by means of different test methods. Severe deterioration was caused by all three fungi types. The bamboo species differed in durability. Samples from 6 months young culms decayed more than older ones. There were no significant differences between 1- and 3-year-old culms. Samples taken from the culm top were more vulnerable to decay than those from the bottom. Wet bamboo samples with soil contact were especially degraded by the white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune, whereas the brown-rot fungus Coniophora puteana produced the greatest mass loss in drier samples. The sealing of bamboo crosscut ends reduced the rate of decay.