Forest Products Laboratory

Title: Influence of moisture on brown-rot fungal attack on wood

Author: Rowell, R.M.; Ibach, R.E.; Nilsson, T.

Date: 2007

Source: Proceedings of the 3rd Meeting of the Nordic-Baltic Network in Wood Material Science and Engineering (WSE), October 29-30, 2007, Helsinki, Finland. [Helsinki] : University of Helsinki, 2007. Publications, University of Helsinki, Department of Forest Resource Management ; 40: Pages 65-69.

Description: Southern pine solid wood and wood fiber were reacted with acetic anhydride to various acetyl weight gains. The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) was determined on these specimens at 30%, 65% and 90% relative humidity (RH) and 27 °C. A standard soil block decay test using the brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum was performed and weight loss calculated. Two possible mechanisms have been proposed to explain the resistance of attack of brown-rot fungi on chemically modified wood. One involves the lowering of the cell wall moisture level below that needed for fungal attack. The second involves changing the configuration and conformation of the substrates by modification in such a way that the enzymes can not recognize the substrate. The data presented in this paper indicates that lowering the cell wall moisture level is the major mechanism.

Keywords: Acetylation, brown-rot fungus, moisture, decay, humidity, Southern pine, biodegradation, brown rot, wood-decaying fungi, deterioration, soil-block testing, modified wood, acetic anhydride, acetylated wood, moisture content, resistance to decay, Gloeophyllum trabeum, decay fungi

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Citation

Rowell, R.M.; Ibach, R.E.; Nilsson, T.  2007.  Influence of moisture on brown-rot fungal attack on wood.   Proceedings of the 3rd Meeting of the Nordic-Baltic Network in Wood Material Science and Engineering (WSE), October 29-30, 2007, Helsinki, Finland. [Helsinki] : University of Helsinki, 2007. Publications, University of Helsinki, Department of Forest Resource Management ; 40: Pages 65-69..