Influência de cancro na madeira de Khaya ivorensis⁠

Abstract

The genus Khaya, introduced to Brazil around the 1970s, has established itself as a promising alternative for the production of high-quality wood, especially the species Khaya ivorensis A. Chev., known as African mahogany. Although exotic, it shows excellent adaptation to Brazilian edaphoclimatic conditions, but its performance has been compromised by canker disease, mainly caused by Lasiodiplodia theobromae. This work aimed to compare the physical and mechanical properties of K. ivorensis wood from trees with and without canker. Equilibrium hygroscopic moisture, basic density, deformations in the axial, radial and tangential planes, volumetric variation and static bending strength were evaluated. The results showed that the presence of canker significantly raised the basic density of the wood and altered radial and tangential deformations, as well as volumetric variation, compromising its dimensional stability. On the other hand, no statistically significant differences were observed in bending strength between the treatments. These findings provide support for management strategies and raw material selection aimed at minimizing losses and improving the utilization of African mahogany wood.