Effects of localized environment on the eucalypt clones quality aiming kraft pulp production

Abstract

Abstract Wood is the most expensive fraction in the pulp production costs. Therefore, strategies for increasing wood quality such as faster growth, higher wood basic density and lower lignin content are drivers to pulp mills. The cultivation site as well as the eucalypt clones influence the wood quality, which, in turn, affects the pulp production performance. Thus, this work aims to evaluate the effect of the site on the wood quality for the pulp production. Three eucalypt clones from five different sites in Brazil were used in this study. These samples were selected aiming to represent a gradient of environmental stress. It was possible to observe a reduction in the content of extractives and lignin and an increase in the content of glucans in the sites with less environmental stress, reflecting in the production of pulp with less effective alkali demanded (reduction of 13.5 %) and an increase of 10.5 % in the kraft pulp screened yield. MAIP values of 22.7 ton/ha/year were obtained in the sites with less environmental stress, presenting a lower specific wood consumption. Through the production indicators, it was observed that the C1 clone is more adaptable to the regions of greater environmental stress than the other clones analyzed.