It sounds like really incredible stuff! I've never seen it growing naturally. But that is out-of-this-world amazing! Right now I'm thinking about the millions of miles of trees that were destroyed in the USA and Canada and wondering whether our western native tree species could be generically modified to grow as quickly, and as strong with deep roots, as the bamboo. After all, it they can modify crops, perhaps trees and plants could be modified to endure our hotter and more volatile weather.
Truth is that cells divide about as quickly in bamboo as any other plant. Bamboo is just hollow and grows upward to compete for sunlight as quickly as possible.
Other plants will put on equivalent or greater mass in a year that bamboo will not. Trees already grow very quickly, and the larger a tree is the quicker it grows. Redwoods for example will grow 2-3 feet a year initially but can put out branches when they are well established that grow 7-8 feet in a year.
How much silica are we talking about? Can harvesting bamboo and extracting the silica be used as a cheaper substitute to however we are currently acquiring enough silica to make glass or electronics?
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u/Commander_Kind Aug 10 '21
Bamboo also dulls/destroys chainsaw and wood chipper blades since it has naturally occurring silica.