Detection, description, and technological properties of colour aberration in wood of standards and shoots from a chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) coppice stand
Author(s)
Date Issued
2022
Type
article
Volume
141
Issue
4
Start Page
683
End Page
698
Abstract
Sweet chestnut forests occupy an important role in Italy and Europe, its resilience is often afected by aggressive pathogen
attack. In the last times some chestnut wood colour aberrations have attracted attention suggesting intercorrelation with
biotic attacks. The present study analyses chestnut wood from a coppice-with-standards stand in Central Italy aiming to
understand the reasons for discolorations in respect to a possible efect on wood physical and mechanical character. Wood
specimens with diferent chromatic aberrations were analysed by mechanical tests, microscopic techniques (SEM), specifc
density measurements, and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Standing trees and logs were investigated by IML-RESI. Results by
SEM show as all stained wood zones correspond to mycelium presence and abnormal cell wall morphologies. No real trend
was found between specifc density, or compressive strength, with coloured samples, infact some test samples with colour
aberrations had the highest value for specifc gravity. Comparing sound wood with stained wood, the semiquantitative
analysis by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy allowed to detect a change in the ratio lignin/cellulose which might be due to a white
rot fungus. IML-Resi has showed wood decay symptoms at root collar in coppice standards with a decrease in amplitude
at least of 30%. The results fnd an agreement with similar studies carried out in Spanish chestnut suggesting to indeep the
analysis to investigated the geographical distribution and the impact of the damage