TOPWOOD — Wood phenotyping tools: properties, functions and quality

Results in brief

Wood phenotyping tools: properties, functions and quality

Wood basic properties are key-traits in many forest and wood studies. Wood serves three main functions in trees: conduction of water from the roots to the leaves, mechanical support of the plant and storage of biochemicals. Knowledge of basic wood properties is essential in many forest research disciplines, from basic to applied studies. Wood is extensively used for many purposes in building, furniture, paper and cardboard, chemistry, fuel wood and many other important or marginal uses. Basic wood properties strongly influence the quality of all these products. Early knowledge of wood quality is important at all stages of forest research, forest management, logging and wood transformation. However, at the same time, measurement of basic wood properties is often tedious, time consuming and expensive. Hence, there is no doubt that more efficient, less time consuming, less expensive tools are useful for many actors of the forest research and of the forest and wood chain, from the forest to the wood industry. TOPWOOD’s objective is to contribute to the development of several key tools that will help public research laboratories and private companies involved in wood studies to increase their scientific efficiency and their profitability. The specific objective of TOPWOOD is to test and develop medium and high-throughput phenotyping measurement and analysis tools for selected basic wood properties in the laboratory and in the field. The phenotyping tools and methods of analysis developed and improved in TOPWOOD are intended to be used by the participants to investigate the genetic and environmental determinism of key wood properties involved in forest tree adaptation, as well as in wood production and wood quality for the forest and wood industries.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The objective of TOPWOOD is to build a four-year scientific exchange program about the test and development of medium and high-throughput phenotyping measurement and analysis tools for selected basic wood properties in the laboratory and in the field (TOols for Phenotyping WOOD-TOPWOOD). The participants wish to exchange knowledge and experience for sharing and expanding skills, improving existing tools and developing new original measuring devices for wood properties involved in studies of wood quality and of wood biological functions. The phenotyping tools and methods of analysis developed and improved in TOPWOOD are intended to be used by the participants to investigate the genetic and environmental determinism of key wood properties involved in forest tree adaptation, as well as in wood production and wood quality for the forest and wood industries. The participants of TOPWOOD are three academic institutions and one private company from three European Union countries, Austria, France and Spain, and one third country, Argentina. TOPWOOD WP1 is dedicated to the measurement of basic wood properties involved in wood quality (using near infrared spectroscopy, microdensity and ultrasonic approach). WP2 aims at studying and developing measuring devices for wood functional traits (wood hydraulic conductivity, vulnerability to cavitation and the dynamics of wood formation). WP3 aims at developing, discussing and disseminating data analysis methods dedicated to the large and complex data sets generated by these measuring devices. Finally WP4 is dedicated to coordination, management and dissemination.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT · ParisCoordinatorFrance
INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE TECNOLOGIA AGROPECUARIA · Buenos AiresArgentina
MADERA PLUS CALIDAD FORESTAL SL · SAN CIBRAO DAS VINASSpain
UNIVERSITAET FUER BODENKULTUR WIEN · WienAustria

TOPWOOD · Wood phenotyping tools: properties, functions and quality

Results in brief

Wood phenotyping tools: properties, functions and quality

Project objective

Participants

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