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Tunneling ability of subterranean termites through termiticide-treated soil
1988 - IRG/WP 1375
A test apparatus was designed to facilitate accurate measurement of termite penetration into termiticide-treated soil; three termiticides at 500 ppm were evaluated. Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki workers tunneled significantly farther into chlordane-treated soil than did Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar). Both species only slightly penetrated chlorpyrifos-treated soil. Neither species penetrated so...
S C Jones


Hyphal tunnelling of belian (Eusideroxylon zwageri) wood cell walls
1996 - IRG/WP 96-10152
Belian (Eusideroxylon zwageri) is highly regarded among the naturally durable Malaysian hardwoods. Visual inspections at the groundline of belian transmission poles from Sarawak, Malaysia, showed only surface decay of wood after 20 years in service. The cause of decay in belian was investigated by light and transmission electron microscopy. Light microscopy of transverse sections of surface tissue...
A P Singh, A H H Wong


Standard principles of testing termiticides: A discussion paper
1991 - IRG/WP 1502
Recent restrictions and banning of termiticides such as organochlorines in some countries has focussed attention on the need for new and novel compounds as termiticides. However, this poses problems for both wood preservative manufacturers and termitologists. Test procedures have to be devised to evaluate the new termiticides so that the tests are practical, encourage vigorous termite activity, an...
J R J French


Confocal laser scanning microscopy of a novel decay in preservative treated radiata pine in wet acidic soils
1997 - IRG/WP 97-10215
Light microscopy of radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) field test stakes (20x20x500mm3) exposed in wet acidic (pH 3-4) soil for 12 - 24 months showed predominance of an unusual type of decay characte-rised by tunnelling attack of wood cell walls. After two years decay was moderate to severe in wood treated to ground contact CCA specifications and also equivalent retentions of creosote, and a numb...
R N Wakeling, Ying Xiao, A P Singh


Resistance of Alstonia scholaris vestures to degradation by tunnelling bacteria
1992 - IRG/WP 92-1547
Electron microscopic examination of vessels and fibre-tracheids in the wood of Alstonia scholaris exposed to tunnelling bacteria (TB) in a liquid culture showed degradation of all areas of the secondary wall. The highly lignified middle lamella was also degraded in advanced stages of TB attack. However, vestured pit membranes and vestures appeared to be resistant to degradation by TB even when oth...
A P Singh, T Nilsson, G F Daniel


Proposal for co-operative work. Testing the ability of accidentally introduced tropical insects to survive the cold season in Europe
1976 - IRG/WP 155
By hibernation-experiments in the past it was found that not only the low temperatures may become fatal by freezing. In some experiments we found indications that larvae died by starvation. For example Lyctus africanus-larvae did so in some years with a cold winter (mean above 0°C). If you like to take starvation as a reason for death into account it may be useful to withdraw pieces of infested w...
S Cymorek


Blue stain in service on wood surface coatings. Part 2: The ability of Aureobasidium pullulans to penetrate wood surface coatings
1992 - IRG/WP 92-1557
The ability of Aureobasidium pullulans to penetrate seven different wood surface coatings was examined. Eight isolates of Aureobasidium pullulans were used. Following penetration, light microscopy was used to examine the effect of the fungus upon the coating, and growth at the wood-film interface. The fungus showed different growth capabilities with different types of surface coatings. Some isolat...
P R Sharpe, D J Dickinson


Ultrastructural and TEM-EDAX studies on the degradation of CCA treated radiata pine by tunnelling bacteria
1985 - IRG/WP 1260
An ultrastructural study was carried out on bacterial attacked Pinus radiata stakes treated with a high level (24.7 kg/m³) of Tanalith NCA preservative. The purpose of the investigation was to determine whether the organism possessed intracellular and/or extracellular detoxification mechanisms in order to overcome the high levels of copper, chrome and arsenic present within the wood fibre walls. ...
G F Daniel, T Nilsson


Ultrastructure of the attack of a naturally durable timber by tunnelling bacteria
1990 - IRG/WP 1462
The attack of the wood of Eusideroxylon zwageri, a naturally durable species, by tunnelling bacteria (TB) was examined by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Observations were made primarily on fibres. Parenchyma were included in some cases. Both fibres and parenchyma are rich in extractives. In fibres, extractives are primarily present in the lumen. The amber colouration of fib...
A P Singh, T Nilsson, G F Daniel


Examination of timbers from the Mary Rose in storage
1988 - IRG/WP 4149
Timbers from the Tudor ship, Mary Rose, have been examined for the presence of fungal fruiting structures. Wood specimens were also examined for the presence of microbial decay patterns using light and scanning electron microscopy. Structural timbers were surveyed using the Pilodyn for an overall picture of the extent of decay. Mary Rose timbers were predominantly inhabited by marine fungi. Fourte...
R Mouzouras


Effect of wood moisture on ability of Sphaeropsis sapinea to colonise Pinus radiata
1999 - IRG/WP 99-10311
The factors influencing colonisation of unseasoned radiata pine logs by sapstaining fungi which can result in detrimental wood discolouration, are being explored. The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of wood moisture content on fungal growth and wood colouration (melanisation). Five replicate trials were set up using increment cores (10mm diameter) which were taken from ...
B Kreber, D R Eden, R N Wakeling, C M Chittenden, J G Van der Waals, B Carpenter


Importance of bacteria in the deterioration of archaeological woods
1995 - IRG/WP 95-10122
An electron microscopic study of archaeological woods from different sites and of different ages revealed that the woods had been attacked by erosion bacteria, tunnelling bacteria and soft rot fungi. Bacterial erosion appeared to be most widespread, and was present independently as well as together with tunnelling and soft rot attacks. Thus, in many instances bacterial erosion was the only type of...
Yoon Soo Kim, A P Singh, T Nilsson


Decay types observed in small stakes of pine and Alstonia scholaris inserted in different types of unsterile soil
1990 - IRG/WP 1443
The attack of various wood-degrading microorganisms occurring in mini-stakes of pine and Alstonia scholaris buried in various types of unsterile soil was studied. Attacks by white rot, brown rot, soft rot, erosion bacteria, tunnelling bacteria and actinomycetes were found. Soft rot occurred in all soils, whereas attack by white rot and especially brown rot and erosion bacteria was rare. The type o...
T Nilsson, G F Daniel


Chelura terebrans (Crustacea: Amphipoda) is capable of degrading wood independently of its associate, Limnoria
1992 - IRG/WP 92-4180
Chelura terebans has been reported to be dependent on the tunnelling activities of Limmmoria. However, this study has shown that Chelura is capable of excavating its own grooves in the surface of blocks of the low density hardwood, balsa (Ochroma lagopus). When reared on blocks of balsa, Chelura ingests small wood particles. These particles often show evidence of degradation due to tunnelling bact...
S M Cragg, G F Daniel


A study of decay type variability in variously treated Fagus sylvatica and Pinus radiata field test stakes exposed at a vineyard for 30 - 45 months
1998 - IRG/WP 98-10271
Pinus radiata test stakes were treated with 10 kg/m3 of CCA plus 4 lower retentions in a geometric series of 1.5. Fagus sylvatica was treated with 15 kg/m3 and 2 lower retentions. Both timber species were also treated with equivalent retentions of various new generation preservatives (P. radiata was also treated with creosote). Whilst these stakes were exposed at 11 sites in New Zealand (NZ) and 2...
R N Wakeling, A P Singh


A new method for the study of microbiological decay of wood in a strictly anaerobic environment
1988 - IRG/WP 2319
Recent work has suggested that strictly anaerobic bacteria may play a role in the biodeterioration of wood, particularly in aqueous environments. However, no suitable test methods exist for the investigation of this hypothesis. An aqueous minimal medium in specifically adapted conical flasks was sterilised, gassed using a 5.5% H2; 31.8% C02; 62.7% N2 gas mixture to remove oxygen and transferred to...
G M Rogers, A A W Baecker


Distinguishing isolates of Aureobasidium on the basis of their ability to utilise lignin breakdown products as a sole carbon source
1996 - IRG/WP 96-10151
Wild isolates of Aureobasidium were obtained by dilution plating from a ca 20 year old painted pine window frame. Four isolates were obtained from the paint/wood interface region and four isolated from regions deep in the wood. The isolates were then used to inoculate liquid cultures containing ferulic acid, a lignin breakdown product, present as the sole carbon source. Ability of the isolates to ...
M W Schoeman, D J Dickinson


A light and electron microscopic study of decayed CCA-treated radiata pine (Pinus radiata) wood from a cooling tower
1994 - IRG/WP 94-10056
An inspection of an industrial cooling tower in New Zealand showed surface decay of 12 year old Pinus radiata wood panels treated with CCA preservative to a retention of around 15 kg/m³ of salt. Wood decay micromorphology typical of that caused by soft rot fungi, white rot fungi, 'stripy' and 'v-shaped' erosion bacteria and cavitation bacteria were all commonly...
A P Singh, R N Wakeling, D R Page


Ability of chitosans to limit wood decay under laboratory conditions.
2004 - IRG/WP 04-30339
Chitosans have recently been explored for controlling a number of plant pathogenic fungi and have shown some promise for controlling stain fungi on wood. The potential for using chitosans either alone or in combination with copper sulfate to protect wood from fungal decay was explored using maple veneers. Chitosan treatment reduce weight losses caused by two brown rot and one white rot fungi, howe...
M Maoz, J J Morrell


Microscopic characteristics of microbial attacks of CCA-treated radiata pine wood
1993 - IRG/WP 93-10011
Light and electron microscopic observations were made of CCA-treated radiata timbers, which had been placed in service in a vineyard soil as supporting poles and as part of a house pile, to determine the cause of their deterioration. The house pile had failed in service after between 9 and 13 years and was of particular interest because decay was more severe in deeper regions than at the surface a...
A P Singh, R N Wakeling


Accelerated decay tests on DNBP-treated Pinus patula and Eucalyptus grandis
1987 - IRG/WP 3441
Blocks (10 x 10 x 5 mm³) of Pinus patula and Eucalyptus grandis were impregnated to 0, 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 kg/m³ 2-sec-butyl, 4, 6 dinitrophenol (DNBP). They were monitored microscopically and for weight losses over 16 weeks against monocultures of Coriolus versicolor and Coniophora puteana. Treated ministakes (10 x 10 x 100 mm³) and blocks in soil contact were similarly monitored to determine wei...
L D Abraham, A A W Baecker


Copper storage in the digestive caecae of Limnoria tripunctata and Limnoria quadripunctata (Crustacea: Isopoda) tunnelling in CCA treated and untreated wood in laboratory cultures
1998 - IRG/WP 98-10257
Digestive tract tissues of Limnoria quadripunctata Holthuis and Limnoria tripunctata Menzies, tunnelling untreated and CCA treated Scot's pine sapwood under laboratory conditions were examined using X-ray microanalysis and transmission electron microscopy. Populations of both Limnoria species tunnelling treated and untreated wood stored copper within their digestive caecae in the form of ...
C Wykes, A J Pitman, S M Cragg


Preservative ability of wood to be fixed hydroxyl apatite substituted for antimicrobial metals
2001 - IRG/WP 01-30272
We succeeded in forming hydroxy apatite (HAp) in wood. HAp is non-toxicity and safe. Preservative ability of the wood, which substituted one part of Ca of constituent element of this HA p for antibacterial metals was measured. When Ca was substituted for Ag or Zn, mass loss in decay by brown-rot fungus F. palustris was restrained in about 50% (Ag) ~30% (Zn) of value of control specimen. However, w...
Y Haruhiko, I Sumaru


Degradation features of waterlogged archaeological compression wood
1998 - IRG/WP 98-10258
The degradation characteristics of waterlogged archaeological compression wood excavated in South Korea were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Degradation of Pinus compression wood occurred mainly in the inner part of S2 layer. In contrast, the outer part of S2 layer remained relatively intact. CLSM and TEM showed the erosion type of ...
Yoon Soo Kim, A P Singh


Bacteria are important degraders of cooling tower timbers: New Zealand experience
1995 - IRG/WP 95-10128
Microscopic examinations of CCA-treated Pinus radiata timbers in industrial cooling towers in New Zealand showed bacteria and soft rot fungi to be primarily responsible for the decay of these timbers. Of these micro-organisms, erosion bacteria appeared to be most widespread, attacking wood cell walls independently as well as together with tunnelling bacteria and soft rot fungi. Tunnelling bacteria...
A P Singh, R N Wakeling


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