Decay resistance of some imported timbers against brown and white-rot fungi

Investigations were carried out to determine the natural resistance of 20 commercially available imported timber species and two Indian timber species against wood decay fungi. Based on the resistance against the wood decay fungi, Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. F. sylvatica L., Acer pseudoplatanus L., and Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg. with weight loss of around 40–50 % comes under “non-resistance class”. Decay was around 30 % in Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl., F. excelsior Quctnon. and Michelia champaka L. which come under “moderately resistance class”. Dryobalanops aromatica Geratin., Pterocarpus soyauxii Taub. (from two countries), Quercus robur L., Shorea laevis Ridl., S. marcoptera Dyer., S. robusta Gearth., Tectona grandis L.f. (from five countries) and Xylia dolabriformis Benth. showed less than 10 % of weight loss and can be grouped under “high resistance class”.