Dr Shakti Chauhan
Research Expertise
Wood quality characterization (growth stresses and bio-mechanical properties).
Current Focus
Quality requirements for solid wood products are generally related to issues such as density, stiffness, shrinkage, stability, reaction wood, spiral grain. Enormous variability in these wood quality traits in populations provides an opportunity for selection in breeding with desired traits. Developing improved breeding values for solid wood products is challenging as it requires measurement of a range of solid wood quality traits rapidly and econmically within large populations. The primary focus of our research is on characterising wood quality traits in radiata pine and Eucalypts for solid wood particularly at the early stages. Our approach is to develop rapid, reliable and repeatable methods for evaluating wood quality and assess the wood quality variability in young trees for the early selection in breeding that can minimise the risks of having 'poor-performers' in the future timber resources..
Representative Publications
Shakti Chauhan (2009). Avoiding surprises: fast mass screening for unwanted effects. Apiolaza, Chauhan & Walker (eds) Revisiting Eucalypts 2009 - Proceedings of the WTRC Workshop, University of Canterbury, 139-47
Chauhan, S.S., Entwistle, K. & Walker, J.C.F. (2007). Search for a relationship between stress wave velocity and internal stresses in eucalypts and radiata pine. Holzforschung 61: 60-64
Chauhan, S.S. & Walker, J.C.F. (2006). Variations in acoustic velocity and density with age, and their interrelationships in radiata pine. Forest Ecology and Management 229: 388-94
Carter, P. Chauhan, S. & Walker, J.C.F. (2006). Sorting logs and lumber for stiffness using Director HM200, Wood and Fibre Science 38(1): 49-54
Bradley, A., Chauhan, S., Walker, J. & Banham, P. (2005). Using acoustics in log segragation to optimise energy use in thermo-mechanical pulping. Appita Journal 58(4): 308-13