LOG FRESHNESSLOG FRESHNESSAn overview of Douglas Fir log age related An overview of Douglas Fir log age related quality issues/their timing and preventionquality issues/their timing and prevention

April 6, 2011April 6, 2011

Let’s talk “Age Problems”?

Tree harvest starts a biological clock ticking on the degradation process

Log freshness is a critical component of log value

Degradation Issues

Wood boring insectsAmbrosia BeetlesFlathead BorersBark Beetles

MoldSap/Age StainWeather Checking

Log freshness is a critical component of log value

Ambrosia Beetles

Trypodendron lineatum

Ganthotrichus sulcatus

Gnathotichus retusus

Flights and attacks initiate when temperatures approach 50F and can

persist through the summer

Gnathotrichus sulcatusGnathotichus retusus

Ambrosia Beetles

Ambrosia Beetles – Entrance holes (frass)

Ambrosia Beetles – Entrance holes with bark off look like pin holes

Ambrosia Beetles – Damage

Wood Borer Group :Wood Borer Group : ColeopteraColeoptera:: BuprestidaeBuprestidaeFlatheadedFlatheaded BorersBorers

Important Genera:

Buprestis, Chalcophora, Chrysobothris, Melanophila, Dicerca and Acmaeodera

Larvae: Chrysobothris mali.

Dicerca divaricata

Golden Buprestid: Buprestis aurulenta

Flat Headed Fir Borer

Flat Headed Fir Borer – Galleries and entrance hole

Douglas-fir Beetle and associated bark beetles

Dendroctonus pseudostugae

First population attacks downed logs in late April to May

Brood developing over the next 8-10 weeks

Second generation (July) may occur in epidemic years

Bark Beetles – April through November

Bark Beetles

Bark Beetles – Galleries

Succession of bark and wood infesting beetles throughout the year

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FHBRHB

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Wood and Bark Infesting Beetles

Today

Round Headed BorerFlat Headed Borer

Douglas-fir BeetleAmbrosia beetles

Review: Fungology 101

SapstainSapstain FungiFungi--derive nutrients from stored contents in ray derive nutrients from stored contents in ray parenchyma and parenchyma and tracheidtracheid cells, may partially degrade cells, may partially degrade wood cell wallswood cell walls

Graphium on DF

Trichoderma on DF

Mold FungiMold Fungi--specialized microbes (fungi) that derive their nutrients specialized microbes (fungi) that derive their nutrients on the sapwood surface but do not penetrate into the on the sapwood surface but do not penetrate into the wood to any appreciable depthwood to any appreciable depth

Mold

Molds can appear in a relatively short time and can come in different colors.

Mold

Mold comes in many different colors.

Mold – Surface Mold

Surface mold can appear within days of cutting the tree down if the bark has been knocked off. Surface mold does not penetrate into the fiber.

Mold – Surface Mold

10-18-2010

Age stain/sap stain showing on the surface will have the look ofactually being in the fiber instead of just growing on the surface like the mold does. Notice how the black runs with the grain rather than

covering it with spots

Mold – Surface Mold or Age Stain?

Sap Stain

Sap stain is a discoloration caused by microscopic fungi that commonly infect only the sapwood of trees, using parts of the sapwood (including simple sugars and starches for food).

Sap stain will develop whenever the required food, oxygen, temperature and moisture conditions are available and the fungi is present.

Optimal conditions tend to be in the fall, but can occur during a wet spring.

Sap Stain

Segments from logs in customer’s log yard- October 2009Sap Stain

Sap Stain

December 2004

September 2009

Sap Stain in lumber

Weather Check

Degradation Prevention

Process and transport logs to processing mills as soon as possible after felling.

All log and felled tree inventory must be kept to a minimum at all times, but TAX TIME TO TURKEY TIME is an especially critical time for log freshness.

Lumber can be treated to prevent mold and fungi growth

TIMING!

Log freshness is a critical component of log value

Trial DF treated versus untreated

Anti-Stain lumber treatments

The Clock is ticking

Get ‘em yarded

Get ‘em processed

Get ‘em loaded

2008 Setting with Age Stain and Mold

Export & Age QC as % of DF and avg. $/mbfSetting start cut wk 30, finish cut wk 44, start load wk 33

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 49 50Wk #

355.00

375.00

395.00

415.00

435.00

455.00

475.00

495.00

515.00

535.00

Export % of DF QC age calls % of DF Avg $/mbf Avg DF $/mbf

Douglas Fir All Specie avg. $ mbf avg. $ mbf

1st eight weeks Wk 33-40 $498 $4882nd eight weeks Wk 41-47 $461 $446Cleanup 2 weeks Wk 49-50 $412 $405

All weeks Wk 33-50 $475 $462

Difference between first 8 weeks and second 8 weeks mbf loss $37 $42

Total value loss on 2nd eight weeks $36,136 $46,598

2008 Setting with Age Stain and Mold

Any Questions?