Abstract:
Objective To understand the effects of different concentrations of ethephon on the formation of heartwood and essential oil component of Dalbergia odorifera.
Method The experiment selected D.odorifera with DBH ranging from 6 to 8 cm as the research object. This study aimed at questing the impacts of various ethephon concentration degrees (CK, 0.1%, 0.5%, and 2.5%) on starch and soluble sugar of D. odorifera, basic wood properties, histochemistry, and essential oil component via trunk injection.
Result The consequences manifested the obvious discrepancy of soluble sugar content between sapwood and discoloration wood among all treatments. Moreover, all sugar content of discoloration wood was much lower than that of sapwood. All sapwood's starch content processed with ethephon exceeded that of CK, and the starch content of 0.5% treatment was the highest, which was consistent with the findings of discoloration wood's starch content. With regards to the timber characters, the maximum fresh timber density was 1.036 g·cm-3 with 0.5% treatment, and 2.5% processing led to the maximum values for both absolute and relative moisture content. In addition, all the ethephon treatments dramatically improved the percentage and the formation rate of discoloration wood. The results regarding histochemistry indicated that all sapwood contained massive starch while discoloration wood possessed none. A large number of lipids, acidic lipids and phenolic compounds was observed in discoloration wood while none in the sapwood. The oil yield of discolored wood increased gradually with the increase of ethephon concentration. 0.1%, 0.5% and 2.5% treatments increased by 52.28%, 121.54% and 128.54%, respectively. Among the12 common heartwood components detected, the most important one was nerolidol, and the order was CK > 0.1% > 2.5% > 0.5%. Furthermore, 2.5% treatment contributed to the highest content of bisabolol oxide A, which elevated 36.59% more than that of CK. Both alpha-farnesene and homopterocarpin in 0.1% treated samples had the highest content.
Conclusion Each ethephon treatment could affect starch and resoluble sugar, basic wood properties, histochemistry, and essential oil component of Dalbergia odorifera. 2.5% treatment could facilitate the formation of D. odorifera's heartwood.