Termite resistance of Melaleuca cajuputi wood treated with citric acid
Keywords:
Coptotermes gestroi, Dried, Mass loss, Percentage, PreservativeAbstract
Many termite species are major pests of wood products. Chemical and non-chemical wood preservatives are used to enhance the termite resistance of wood structures. A laboratory study using citric acid was used to test the protection of cajuputi wood (Melaleuca cajuputi; Myrtaceae) against Coptotermes gestroi Wasmann (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Treated M. cajuputi wood was prepared using vacuum impregnation and alternatively by dipping. Dried M. cajuputi wood was dipped in 50%, 25% and 15% citric acid for 15 s, while the impregnation treatments involved 6%, 3% and 1.5% citric acid under 760 mmHg (101.33 kPa) pressure for 1 hr. The controls were M. cajuputi wood treated with 1.5% boron and non-treated wood. All cases were exposed to C. gestroi in no-choice experiments, and the relative mass loss of M. cajuputi wood that had been vacuum impregnated with citric acid was not significantly different from that impregnated with 1.5% boron, with both remaining below 11%. In all dipping treatments, the mass loss of M. cajuputi wood was higher than that with the baseline boron treatment.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2019 Kasetsart University
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
online 2452-316X print 2468-1458/Copyright © 2022. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/),
production and hosting by Kasetsart University of Research and Development Institute on behalf of Kasetsart University.