ABSTRACT
This work’s main objective was to follow the air-drying of Eucalyptus grandis lumber, carried out in Lavras, MG, and to identify the mycobiota associated with the lumber at various phases of drying. The lumbers were obtained from eight 3.0 meter long logs from 27 year-old trees, planted in an experimental area of UFLA. Results showed that the air-drying of Eucalyptus grandis, started in January, demanded 158 days to achieve moisture content around 12.5 %. The moisture content-time curve was represented by a logarithmic equation with coefficient of determination equal to 98.3 %. The highest occurrence of fungi that cause surface mold and stain was observed at the beginning of the drying. The highest frequencies of fungi were verified at the beginning of the drying for Penicillium spp and Pestalotiopsis sp. The fungus Lentinus lepideus occurred with higher frequency at the end of the drying.
Keywords:
Eucalyptus; lumber; air-drying; fungi