Rattan is the name for roughly 600 species of old world climbing palms belonging to the subfamily Calamoideae (Source: Wikipedia). Rattans are climbing palms exploited for their flexible stems that form the basis of a significant market for cane and cane products. Today, they are threatened with overexploitation as a result of poor management practices. Therefore, it is important to promote cultivation. To achieve this, it is necessary to find land that possesses similar characteristics to those of tropical and swamp forests. Although rattan germinates best in partial shade, it grows most favourably in sunlight after transplanting. Rattan can be cultivated in mixed cropping with other plants, or sown on land recently cleared by fire.

1. Rattan in mixed cropping 

Two to three months before the cropping season: 

• Weed the land and cut down certain trees; 

• Immediately after that, sow with mature rattan seed, or plant seedlings or plantlets. A planting density of 50 to 170 plants per hectare is recommended. Seeds should be planted before burning the land as the heat can aid germination; 

• After one to two months, burn the field; 

• After that, plant food crops such as rice, maize, cassava, etc. In the first year, the young plants in the rattan crop require little maintenance; 

• One or two years later, leave the cultivated land for a new plot. In the meantime, the rattan will continue to grow amid this secondary forest growth. In this way, the rattan crop is incorporated into the cycles of shifting cultivation.

Once growth is established, the rattans can remain in the fields for long periods. Cane harvesting can begin eight years after planting and may be extended over several years. Peak harvesting occurs between 24 and 36 years after planting, and declines as of 37 to 43 years.

2. Rattan in single crop

Rattan can be easily cultivated from seed by using the following steps: 

Step 1: Making a nursery

The nursery can be built from local materials such as bamboo, palm leaves, etc. It is best to use humus-rich soil (a mix of black earth and sand or sawdust) when preparing the seedbeds. Adding sand or sawdust improves drainage and prevents the roots of the seedlings being damaged during transplanting.

Step 2: Seed collection, preparation, storing and sowing 

Collect ripe fruit that has recently fallen, with a bright red or orange colour because this means the seeds are mature and ready to germinate. 

In order to speed up the germination process, first remove the seeds from the skin and pulp of the fruit by crushing it with your hand or foot. To remove the pulp, soak the seeds in water for two days and then rub them between your hands. After washing, sow them as soon as possible. Nursery 1.5 to 2 metres Palm leaves Bamboo 7 Rattan seeds Rattan seeds can be stored in a damp condition for several weeks by wrapping them first in paper (toilet paper is recommended), then in a plastic bag. However, the seeds will gradually lose their germination potential. To store them for long periods, wash the seeds every three to four days and change the wrapping paper. 

Large diameter seeds can be sowed 5 cm apart; small diameter seeds 2.5 cm apart. 

Sow the seeds in the seedbed following the recommended spacing, and then push them 10 cm into the ground, cover with soil and water lightly.

After sowing, weed and water the seedbeds regularly, and make sure that the seeds remain covered with soil at all times. Germination occurs mostly two to three months after sowing. When they first appear, the leaves look like needles. 

Besides using seeds, rattan can also be cultivated by vegetative propagation, using suckers or rhizomes. However, it can be problematic to collect enough suckers or rhizomes for large-scale cultivation because they are larger and more time-consuming than seeds.

Step 3: Transplanting seedlings in polythene bags

After two months, several leaves will already be open, and the young plant can be transplanted. This is done with polythene bags 12.5 cm wide and 20 cm deep, two thirds full with the same soil mix as in the seedbeds. In order to avoid damaging the roots, a mix of sand or sawdust can be added to the soil mix. 

Before beginning, water the seedbed abundantly, remove the plant carefully and place it in the bag. Then fill the bag with soil, press down gently to steady the plant in the pot, and water lightly. 

Place the pots with transplanted seedlings in the nursery, in blocks of four pots with walkways between the blocks. This will allow easy access to each seedling when weeding and watering. 

The seedlings need regular weeding and watering. Keep the nursery clean and ordered at all times, and make sure the seedlings are in the shade. Remove sick or infested pants. After five to six months, the seedlings can be replanted. 

Step 4: Replanting in the field

In order to grow well, rattan requires sunlight and a climbing support. It is therefore a good idea to replant on uncultivated land. Planting should take place during the rainy season.

Avoid damaging the young plants while transporting them to the field. For example, do not cut their leaves or roots; otherwise they could dry out. The cropping pattern is 7 m x 3 m, or 476 plants per hectare. 

The planting holes should be 20 cm wide and 30 cm deep. Fill one third with humus-rich soil or compost, then remove the plant from the bag and place it, together with the soil clod, in the hole and fill with earth. 

In the first three years, water during the dry season and weed the plots regularly. As of the fourth year, guide the stems towards the support trees. 

If conditions are good, rattan can reach maturity within five years. 

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