Wood quality Wood quality considerations for radiata pine in international markets Karen Bayne Abstract New Zealand grown radiata pine competes with other softwood species and supplier nations within the international market across a range of applications. In terms of fitness for end use, wood quality goes beyond basic wood property measures and encompasses aspects of fitness from cradle to grave, from silvicultural and extraction requirements to service in use. Radiata pine holds its own against northern hemisphere species in many applications, and the New Zealand resource is of high quality compared to other radiata pine supplies. To lift the resource out of a commodity mode into niche production of desired rather than just suitable offerings, we must begin to determine what our customers appreciate at all points in the value chain from the timber supplied. Matching of these features to wood properties and the components of the resource containing those properties to appropriate processing pathways is required. Introduction Radiata pine is characterised as a species that has fairly good stem form and matures within 30 years producing wood of medium density, with a light colouring and quite wide growth rings. It competes on the international market with other medium density softwoods such as spruces, other pines, Douglas fir and cypresses. As the volume of radiata pine logs that are exported increases, one could perhaps incorrectly conclude that the focus on wood properties appears a lesser marketing priority to some in the industry. Wood quality remains, however, a vital component of the competitive strengths of the New Zealand timber supply, although the definition of what constitutes ‘quality’ in international markets requires further investigation. This paper discusses the competitive advantage of New Zealand-grown radiata pine, and the importance of wood quality characteristics in the international marketplace. The main focus will be on solid wood properties, but fibre properties of interest to the pulp and paper industry will also be briefly discussed. What constitutes wood quality? Traditionally, the forest sector has tended to use physical and mechanical properties to denote high quality timber. Zhang (2003) states ‘many forest scientists appear to consider wood density and fibre length as the key wood quality characteristics regardless Radiata pine logs are peeled down to a small core by Chinese plywood manufacturers. Source: Courtesy of Michael Jack NZ Journal of Forestry, February 2015, Vol. 59, No. 4 23