Bamboo stick costs USD0.005/ piece, what so special about bamboo stick, then ?
Go to shop/market and buy bamboo chopsticks, then dip into any liquid/inoculant you are comfortable which you think will eventually produce Agarwood, simple is that.
When bamboo stick is inserted into tree’s tissue, it provides slow release of inoculant to the vicinity, causing a long period of WAR between tree’s defence mechanism and stress by the inoculant in the wounded bark. Formation of agarwood is a process in nature through the dynamic interaction of trees and CONTINUOUS stress. Layer of resinous wood is formed gradually, and this agarwood formation becomes thicker if PERFECT environment is matched. If the tree is very healthy, where the TUG-of-WAR is won by the tree’s defence mechanism, then most probably the treated bark will end up in white tissue, where the wounded bark has recovered. On the other hand, if the treated tree is rather weak, external stress by bamboo stick may seriously damage to the said tree, even causing fatality.
There were many cases reported about bamboo stick failed to generate reasonable yield after inducement. Some of them claimed to different microclimate, soil properties and rainfall in different countries. I had the same experience as the entire batch i purchased in 2013 did NOT work when induced in many places in Malaysia. Therefore, the following formula has been altered and produced to suit local parameter.
Gaharu 沉香 Agarwood 