Protection of freshly cut radiata pine chips from fungal attack

Current regulations by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture require that wood chips imported into the United States must be fumigated with methyl bromide. The impact of this treatment is questionable; application of topical fungicide treatments may provide equivalent protection. The efficacy of these methods was investigated by treating radiata pine chips with various levels of one of six different biocides, then spraying the chips with a mixture of four stain and mold fungi. Dilutions of NP-1?, Britewood Q?, or NexGen? provided good short-term protection (4 weeks) against stain and mold. NP-1 Plus? and PQ-8? provided intermediate protection. Britewood S? provided little or no protection. This suggests that dilute solutions of topical fungicides can protect wood chips and provide a viable mitigation method for limited periods during shipping.

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