Fungal disease and the treatment in rubber tree / Nor Hidayah Angliman

Nowadays, rubber wood is widely using in making furniture. It is because rubber wood has a commercial value in international market. But there is a barrier to rubber usage as fungi like to attack rubber trees either young or old. Fungi have four requirements for growth: food, oxygen, favorable temperature and moisture. Fungi are no green plants: therefore they cannot utilize sunlight to synthesize food materials. Fungi require an already synthesized food source, such as wood. Mold fungi generally feed on material located on the wood surface, while sapstain fungi utilize food substances stored in the wood cells. Decay fungi utilize the wood cells or the material holding the cells together (lignin), thus causing serious weight and strength losses. Wood preservatives protect wood by making it not usable as a food source.