Potentiality of use of near infrared spectroscopy for the prediction of certain wood properties and ecophysiological characteristics of trees.

SERGENT, A.S.; SEGURA, V.; MARTINEZ-MEIER, A.; CHARPENTIER, J.P.; MERLO SANCHEZ, E

Bariloche

Conferencia; Adapting forest ecosystems and wood products to biotic and abiotic stress; 2019

The use of Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy (NIRS) is now well established in laboratory for the evaluation of various physicochemical properties of wood. Several prediction models are in use in laboratories and allow the evaluation of properties such as wood cellulose and lignin content, wood density, levels of extractives or specific molecules of phenolic compounds, the potential for saccharification, either from grinded samples or even on solid wood. With the rapid evolution in recent years towards miniaturization of spectrometers, portable technology now allows direct field use, non-destructive and without sampling. In forestry, the direct assessment on standing trees is not yet valid and no convincing example has been mentioned recently. Some delicate points remain to be mastered as the control of the extreme variation of the humidity of living wood, very influential on the quality of the near infra-red spectra. The first tests that we have recently carried out under various projects have been undertaken on species such as poplar mainly but also on eucalyptus, oak, beech and fir. From the experiments we have conducted, we will compare the advantages and potential of each technique used in the laboratory or in the field with portable technology and their suitability for the evaluation of different physicochemical properties of wood and functional characteristics of trees.