Effect of Harvesting time and species on nutritional quality of edible bamboo shoots

The study revealed that nutritional attributes of tender bamboo shoots varied markedly among different species of bamboo. The dry matter, crude protein, fat, carbohydrates and the P content in different bamboo species varied from 91.41 to 92.53 per cent, 7.69 to 8.54 per cent, 17.86 to 24.33 per cent, 0.30 to 0.47 per cent, 2.34 to 5.21 per cent and 32.59 to 39.59 mg/100g, respectively. The finding indicates that best nutritional traits were found in D. hamiltonii & B. nutans. Best time of harvest for the edible shoots is August when the tender shoots of bamboo are at the stage of best nutritional quality.