Need to develop processing technologies (for value addition) of the species evaluated for their properties and uses

IRG/WP 05-40307

S R Shukla, S K Sharma, Y M Dubey, P Kumar, R V Rao, K S Shashidhar

The demand of timber in India for different industrial as well as domestic applications is ever increasing mostly due to urbanization and industrialization. This demand can only be met either from the imported timber or from the plantation resources outside the reserved and natural forests. There are a number of timber species grown under plantation forestry have their heartwood refractory to any chemical treatment or very difficult to treat but naturally durable. Heartwood of such timbers need no preservative treatment. Although species like Acacia crassicarpa, Cupressus goveniana, Cupressus lusitanica, Enterolobium contortisiliquum, Gironniera reticulata, Mastixia arborea and Sterculia urens are found to have a number of applications but they can not be recommended at present for different uses either in contact with ground or high humidity conditions due to non availability of information on their durability and their amenability to preservative treatment. The general features and internal anatomical structure of woods of these species suggest that preservative treatment is possible because of their moderate weight and partially open structure. Different uses of any species are possible for value addition leading to large-scale applications. For this, improved processing technologies are to be developed and proper market supports are essential. The success story of utilization potential of rubber wood in India based on R&D efforts is a case worth mentioning and some of the species enumerated above deserve such status. Once preservative treatment is applied, non-durable timbers can also be used for different purposes identified. Acacia auriculaeformis is found to be suitable for furniture and if proper seasoning and preservative treatments are followed, this species has tremendous scope in furniture industry. This will lead to an acceptable level of these species by the consumers and also lessen the burden on the primary timbers.


Keywords: Processing technologies, value addition, wood properties and uses, preservative treatment, plantation timbers

Conference: 05-04-24/28 Bangalore, India


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