Agricultural and Biological Research

Evaluation of fiber properties of Eucalyptus globulus grown in Farta woreda as a potential source for pulp and paper making, Amhara national regional state, Ethiopia

Daniel Gebeyehu* and Lamesa Abara

The aim of this study was to investigate the fiber properties, pulp and paper-making potential of Eucalyptus globulus grown in Farta woreda, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. Six trees with an age of eight years were sampled and sample discs were taken at the bottom (10%), middle (50%) and top (90%) along the tree height, as well as 2 × 2 × 2 cm blocks of wood at 10%, 50% and 90% of the disc radius (distance from the pith to the bark of the tree). Fiber properties were determined and their variation along tree height and transversally from pith to bark was evaluated. The overall mean values along the height of the tree and the distance from the pith to the bark were 0.77 mm for the fiber length, 12.38 µm for the fiber diameter, 2.94 µm for the cell wall thickness, 8.23 µm for the lumen diameter, 19.61 µm for the fiber width, 0.74% for the runkel ratio, 39.22% for the slenderness ratio, 67.83% for the flexibility coefficient and 0.47% for the wall coverage ratio. Fiber length, lumen and fiber diameter, fiber width, cell wall thickness, runkel and wall coverage ratio decreased from the bottom to the top of the tree, while they increased transversally from the pith to the bark, except for lumen diameter and flexibility coefficient, which decreased transversally from the pith to the bark, whereas the flexibility coefficient value increased from the bottom to the top of the tree height. The slenderness ratio did not show significant variation along tree height, while it showed an increase transversally from the pith to the bark.