Effect of Lantana camara L extract on specific gravity of wood species

Wood is used for a wide variety of structural and decorative purposes but the quality of its products is often reduced by physical, chemical or biological deterioration. The lesser known wood species are generally not used because of less durability and lower quality of wood. The specific gravity of wood or its relative density influences strength and durability and is an important parameter to determine wood quality. Therefore the present investigation was carried out to study the effect of Lantana camara L extract treatment at different concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 1.00, 1.50 and 2.00%) on the specific gravity of three wood species viz Pinus roxburghii Sargent, Celtis australis L and Bombax ceiba L. The results elucidated maximum specific gravity in P roxburghii (0.573) and minimum in B ceiba (0.415). The specific gravity values were higher at lower concentrations of the extract as compared to treatment with higher concentrations. The highest specific gravity of C australis (0.589) was recorded at 0.50 per cent L camara extract concentration. The lowest specific gravity of 0.391 was recorded in B ceiba wood in control. Hence the results revealed that the specific gravity of wood has been influenced by L camara extract concentrations.