Toxicity of Boron-Chromium Preservative to Termites and WoodRotting Fungi

The aim of this research was to evaluate the toxicity of technical-gradechromated-boron salts formula against wood termitesand wood rottingfungi. Woodsampleswerepreservedusing vacuum• pressuremethods with 5 different concentrations.For the test against subterranean termites,25 mm x 25 mm x 5 mm preserved wood samples wereput in containerspreviouslyfilled with humid sand media and 200 Coptothermes curvignatus termites. For the test against dry wood termites, 50 Cryptotermes cynocephalus Light wereput into glass tubes which were attached onto the widest surface of treated wood samples measuring 50 mm x 25 mm x 20 mm. Meanwhile, the test against rootingfungi was carried out by putting preserved wood samplesinto pot containing Schizophyllum commune that was culturedin potato dextroseagar. The testingperiod was 12 weeks, exceptfor the test against dry wood termiteswhich was only conducted in 4 weeks. The resultsshowed that technical• grade chromated-boron is highly effective to prevent subteranean teremites and dry wood termites. Total or 100% termites mortality was attained using 1% concentration with 6.01 kg/m3and 5.64 kg/m3retention,for subteranean and dry-wood termites, respectively. For wood rotting fungi, the effective concentartion was 7. 5% with 455.44 kg/ m3 tention.