Hydrogen cyanide for treating wood against pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus): results of a model study

The pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) belongs to economically most important quarantine plant parasitic nematodes in Asia and Europe. As wood transported within the international trade plays major role in B. xylophilus spreading into new areas, attention should be given to wood treatment. With methyl bromide ban in the EU in 2000 new chemicals should be investigated. This work describes results obtained from model fumigation of hollow wooden blocks containing B. xylophilus nematodes in sawdust with gaseous hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Data considering HCN concentration in gas chamber and treated wooden blocks are also presented; HCN concentrations inside wooden blocks were recounted to ct product values which show irregular sorption of HCN by the wood. Total B. xylophilus mortality was observed in the variants treated with the initial HCN concentration of 12.30 g m−3 and exposure times from 8 to 20 h, 18.21 g m−3 and exposure times of 2, 4, 6, 10 and 16 to 20 h, 21.71 g m−3 and exposure times of 12, 18 and 20 h and 24.12 g m−3 and exposure times of 2, 6, 12 and 18 h. Results show overall good efficiency of HCN treatment on B.xylophilus mortality, however, research on naturally infested wood should be desirable.