The objective of this study was to determine the influence of different radiata pine substrates on colonisation by sapstain fungi. Freshly-cut branch wood, stem wood and sawn lumber were used to prepare test samples with the largest wood surface area showing a transverse, radial or tangential face. Test samples were evaluated against sapstain fungi using a rapid laboratory antisapstain screening method routinely used at Forest Research. The following observations were made: Untreated test samples with a large transverse face were more susceptible to fungal degrade than samples with a radial or tangential faces. Of the different substrates treated with antisapstain products, transverse branch wood was the most susceptible to sapstain degrade. It is concluded that the standard Forest Research branch wood disc method, used routinely for evaluating antisapstain formulations, is a very severe screening test.

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