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Bamboo is being explored as a potential alternative crop for Florida citrus growers.

Clumping bamboo, which grows well in Florida, is considered a low risk for invasion.

The versatile plant can be used for food, furniture, construction materials, and textiles.

With a global market valued at nearly $67 billion, bamboo may offer an alternative crop for some Florida growers reeling from a devastated citrus crop, says a University of Florida expert.

“Bamboo is a good alternative crop to diversify beyond citrus,” said Michael Rogers director of the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), part of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). “The clumping bamboos grow well in Florida, can be grown on existing grove land and there is demand for the pr

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