BIOLOGICAL PROCESSING OF PINE LOGS FOR PULP AND PAPER-PRODUCTION WITHPHLEBIOPSIS-GIGANTEA

Phlebiopsis gigantea (=Phanerochaete gigantea) is a white rot fungus t hat rapidly colonizes cut stumps, stems, and branches of pine, Two lab oratory and several field studies showed that inoculation of red pine logs, Pinus resinosa, with P, gigantea reduced the pitch content of wo od, facilitated bark removal, modified wood cells, and controlled detr imental sapstain, Isolations from inoculated logs revealed up to 100 a nd 80% colonization of the sapwood by P, gigantea after 8 weeks in the field and 32 days in the laboratory, respectively, Logs colonized by P. gigantea in both the laboratory and field showed a 9 to 71% reducti on in pitch content, as well as a significant enhancement of bark remo val. Examination with Simons' stain of refined wood fibers from inocul ated logs revealed an increase in cell wall porosity, Blue stain fungi that cause dark discoloration of the sapwood were inhibited by inocul ation with P. gigantea, These studies demonstrate that biological proc essing of logs with P, gigantea can result in substantial benefits to the pulp and papermaking process.