Biodegradability of four wood species treated by gamma-irradiation and its applicability to the termite management

Dry wood termites, Cryptotermes cynocephalus, is one of the most damaging termites of wood. It mainly attacks furniture. For furniture export, the pest-free certificate from the quarantine department is indispensable. This study aimed at understanding the level of eating preference of termites on four Indonesian exotic kinds of wood namely: Eusideroxylon zwageri, Tectona grandis, Swietenia mahagoni, and Anthocephalus cadamba. The woods were radiated by gamma-ray 300 Gy. A further test on dry wood against termites employed Japanese industrial standard (JIS 2009). The results showed that the level of wood damage after the irradiation was different from non-irradiated wood. The best wood after radiation was Eusideroxylon zwageri while the most susceptible to termites was Anthocephalus cadamba. After radiation, the highest termites’ mortality level was at Tectona grandis. This study suggests that gamma-ray radiation from various types of wood furniture for the export purpose can increase the resistance of wood against termites.