The purpose of this study was to determine if nitrogen and sugar contents in rubberwood from three selected varieties (clones) rubber trees would affect the rate of colonisation by Botryodiplodia theobromae (a tropical sapstain fungus), Aureobasidium pullulans (a temperate sapstain fungus) and Aspergillus niger (a common mould fungus). Sapstain growth was rated daily until at least 50% mycelial coverage was achieved for 40x20x5mm3 samples from three rubberwood clones (GT1, PB217 and RRIM600) inoculated with the test fungi and incubated in a humidified petri dish assembly under aseptic conditions. All samples had more than 50% coverage of mycelium after 9 days of incubation. The results indicate that the nitrogen content of clone RRIM600 (1.06lmg/g) was significantly higher when compared to that of clone GTI (0.73mg/g) and clone PB217 (0.78mg/g). After oven drying (45°C), clone PB217 contained significantly higher amounts of fructose (5.55mg/g), glucose (2.30mg/g) and total sugar (13.15mg/g), as compared to clone GTI and RRIM600. Clone GTI had the lowest fructose (0.23mg/g), glucose (0.14mg/g), sucrose (2.20mg/g) and total free sugar (2.56mg/g). RRIM600 however had the highest amount of sucrose. B. theobromae spread significantly faster on RRIM600 (4.3 days when >50% mycelial coverage is achieved) than PB217 (5.6 days) or GTI (5.8 days) which is associated with the overall higher nutrient availability in clone RRIM600. Light sanding (down to 1-2mm depth) of sapstain infected samples revealed that deep sapstain typical of B. theobromae remained in the wood, contrasting with the absence of stain by A. pullulans and A. niger (both are typical superficial stainers) in the sanded material.

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