FIBRE MORPHOLOGY AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF 10-YEAR-OLD SENTANG (<em>AZADIRACHTA</em> <em>EXCELSA</em>) PLANTED FROM ROOTED CUTTINGS AND SEEDLINGS

Abstract

Nordahlia AS, Ani S, Zaidon A & Mohd Hamami S. 2011. Fibre morphology and physical properties
of 10-year-old sentang (Azadirachta excelsa) planted from rooted cuttings and seedlings. Fibre morphology
and physical properties of 10-year-old sentang (Azadirachta excelsa) planted from rooted cuttings and seedlings
were determined and compared. Results obtained would determine the appropriate planting technique of
sentang to produce high quality timber. Wood produced from rooted-cutting tree had longer and larger fibres
as well as thicker fibre walls compared with wood from seedlings. With regard to shrinkage, seedling-planted
wood had lower longitudinal and volumetric shrinkages than rooted-cutting wood. However, the radial and
tangential shrinkages did not differ significantly. Fibre morphology decreased significantly with height, while
basic densities and shrinkages decreased from the bottom to the middle of the trunk and then increased
towards the top in both types of wood.