Protection of southern pine from fungal decay and termite damage with N,N-naphthaloylhydroxylamine

The design of environmentally benign methods for preserving wood in service requires an understanding of the precise sequence of the biochemical events that occur as wood is colonized. We hypothesize that in-situ precipitation of existing calcium ions in association with pectin in wood may prevent the cascade of biochemical events involved in fungal colonization. Preliminary experiments showed that pretreatment of wood blocks with the selective water-soluble calcium-precipitating agent N,N-naphthaloylhydroxylamine (NHA) inhibited decay caused by brown-rot and white-rot fungi as well as damage caused by eastern subterranean termites.