Preliminary Test - Natural Resistance Of Tarrietia Utilis(Sprague) To Termites
Solomon Kwasi Kyei
University of Ghana Business School This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Purpose: Timber, the plant material of greatest biomass is an important structural material. Natural resistance and workability are the main criteria considered for this important usage of wood. Even though there are qualitative data on natural resistance of many Ghanaian timber species, literature records a variety of results for Tarrietia utilis. The study was therefore designed to observe the quantitative data on the weight loss of T. utilis exposed to termite attack on a preliminary basis. It also sought to find out how relative density affects natural resistance in the wood.
Design/Methodology: The merchantable bole of a tree estimated to be 58-64 years old from an Evergreen forest type was used for the study. Using a 3x3 factorial experiment design, samples of 3x1.5x1 cm dimensions were taken from the sapwood, outer heartwood and inner heartwood radial zones in three axial strata levels of the tree. The relative densities of the samples were evaluated using the oven dry method. They were then subjected to a microtest resistance study against termites.
Findings: The radial zones registered a non significant increase in relative density from the sapwood to the inner heartwood of the tree. However, there was a significant increase in natural resistance from the sapwood to the inner heartwood of the radial sections. The natural resistance was therefore noted to vary irrespective of relative density variations in the wood.
Research Implications: Researchers can consider further study on this species with the following considerations: the use of logs from different environments, probably, from both the Evergreen and marshy Deciduous Forests; the use of a specific termite species or identification of all the species that comes into contact with the samples; the use of better presentation and baiting technique that will enhance uniform spread of termites through the test; and extension of the resistance test period to enable assessment of trends in the deterioration process.
Practical Implications: The study therefore recommends that, even though the sapwood of T. Utilis can be used, care must be taken in order not to provide conditions that will be favourable for termite attack in particular. Producers of T. Utilis timber products should also be cautious of the extent to which the sapwood is included in the sales volume of the products.
Key words: Natural Resistance, Tarrietia utilis, Termite.
Contact Person: Solomon Kwasi Kyei is a graduate of the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources Management (Dept. of Wood Science and Technology) and currently, a research analyst with INTEQ GH., a research and management consultancy firm. For correspondence regarding this paper, contacts can be made through: Tel.: 233-20-5600002/233-24-9276087; Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
