Abstract

Teak (Tectona grandis) from intensive plantation management is the most preferred timber in the tropics for sawlog and veneer production. This paper examines selected wood properties such as heartwood percentage, wood density and strength are not adversely affected by individual trees and provenances selected for faster growth. Irrigation and thinning treatments have relatively little influence on strength properties. The juvenile wood is not so weak as to affect the solid wood uses of fast-grown timber from plantations of shorter rotations. The new evidences are strongly in favour of end-users as often fastgrown wood displays lower microfibrillar angle as well as greater dimensional stability and structural performance. There is, however, a need for both short-and long-term strategic research programmes to control the major defects such as flutes and knots which affect the grade and recovery of sawn wood. It is suggested to establish a Teak Wood Task Force to strengthen