Research Brief #13

Strategies for Development and Further Expansion Of Louisiana's Secondary Wood Processing Industry (La Tech FPS1)
Louisiana Forest Products Development Center
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA

Research Objectives

The amount of plantation-grown southern pine in our wood processing facilities is expected to increase dramatically in the future. The USDA Forest Service projections state that 50 percent of our pine softwood volume will come from plantations by the year 2000 and 75 percent by 2030. Use of this wood will require some manufacturing process adjustments. Another growing concern of Louisiana wood processors is declining hardwood availability with increased usage. The purpose of this project is to identify and quantify the effects of silvicultural treatments (spacing, fertilization, thinning, pruning, etc.) on wood quality of hardwoods and plantation-grown southern pine. Additionally, we are assisting in the development of a database of information critical to the economic development activities of Louisiana's secondary wood processing industry

Synopsis of Results

Several separate studies have been initiated under this project. All studies are looking at the effects of different silvicultural treatments on wood quality. The studies are:

1. "A Comparison of Juvenile Wood and Mature Wood Properties In the Four Major Southern Pines (La Tech FPL-1.1)"
2. "The Effect of Fertilization on Specific Gravity, Radial Growth, and Juvenile Wood Proportion in a Loblolly Pine Plantation (La Tech FPL-1.2V)"
3. "The Effect of Pruning, Spacing, arul Thinning on the Wood Quality of Loblolly Pine (La Tech FPL-1.3)."

Each of these studies is described in its own research brief. Also, all secondary wood processing industry assistance projects are funded through this umbrella

Researchers

H. Weaver, Director, School of Forestry and Project Leader
Louisiana Forest Products Laboratory, Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, Louisiana

Mark D. Gibson, Associate Professor, Wood Utilization
Louisiana Forest Products Laboratory, Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, Louisiana

George A. Grozditis, Research Associate
Louisiana Forest Products Laboratory, Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, Louisiana

Target Group

Wood products manufacturers interested in wood quality and its effect on their processes, forest resource managers, and those requiring information on specific topics contained in the database.

Methodology

Basic and applied research, technical assistance, secondary information sources, and industry questionnaires