Bamboo, a giant tropical and temperate region grass, is used for food, timber, furniture, building and construction material, and paper making, among others. With the US being the world's number one importer of bamboo shoots, many growers are venturing into bamboo production with little or no knowledge of the best management practices. There is no reliable literature conducted in Florida about the crop. Therefore, this study was conducted to develop site-specific nitrogen (N) requirements for young bamboo plants in a controlled environment. This study was done in a greenhouse at UF/IFAS Citrus REC in Lake Alfred. One-year-old bamboo plants were transplanted into 37.85 L pots and treated with varying rates of N (0,112,224, and 336 kg N ha-1). Growth, photosynthetic rate, and tissue composition were measured biweekly for five months. Initial and final soil analyses were done. The results demonstrated that higher rates of N (up to a certain amount, i.e. 224 kg N ha-1) increased growth rate, number of culms, and dry matter accumulation. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test and regression analysis were conducted for the response variables in R software. Chlorophyll content and culm diameter were comparable. It was concluded that 200 kg/ha N was optimal for young bamboo plants since it demonstrated the peak growth rate, number of culms, and dry matter compared to the rest of the treatments. Key words: Dendrocalamus asper, nitrogen fertilization, best management practices
