Supporting tree improvement programmes
Globally more than 3.7 billion m3 of wood is harvested each year. And with an increasing world population, an increasing standard of living and the emergence of a bio-based economy relying on a lignocellulosic biomass backbone, wood consumption will increase correspondingly.
Impact
Detailed mapping of wood properties provides a wealth of information to tree growers, tree breeders, and manufacturers of forest products. It helps them to adapt breeding and forest management strategies.
How to map wood properties
The main technique that we use is near-infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging. The technique allows for:
- fast imaging of wood disk surfaces;
- rapid structural and chemical characterization of wood;
- visualization and quantification of within-tree variability in 2D.
This provides data on density, lignin content and tension wood.
