Qualidade da madeira de progênies e clones híbridos de Corymbia para a produção de carvão vegetal siderúrgico

Abstract

In the selection of superior genotypes for charcoal production, one of the main challenges is determining which wood properties have the greatest influence on the final quality of the product. In this context, it becomes essential to establish relationships between wood and charcoal properties using statistical tools that allow for the quantification of these associations. Such approaches make it possible to identify the most relevant properties and to select genetic materials with the greatest suitability for energy purposes, especially in the case of the Corymbia genus, which holds significant industrial interest but has been little studied for charcoal production. This study aimed to evaluate the wood and charcoal properties of 11 Corymbia genotypes, with the aim of identifying the most promising materials for charcoal production. To achieve this, two genotype selection methodologies were employed: importance matrix and multivariate cluster analysis. The importance matrix proved to be an efficient tool for genotype selection, notable for its practicality in selecting properties and the high reproducibility of results. Cluster analysis, based on previously selected properties, showed a high explanation of the total variability in the data, demonstrating strong clustering capability of the evaluated genotypes. Among the analyzed properties, the ones that contributed most to material selection were basic wood density, apparent relative density, bulk density, and gravimetric yield in charcoal. Based on the results from both methodologies, the genotypes most suitable and recommended for use in breeding programs aimed at charcoal production were the clones CTC2 (C. torelliana x C. citriodora), CTCM (C. torelliana x C. citriodora x C. maculata), and the progeny PTM (C. torelliana x C. maculata). These materials showed superior performance in key properties of interest, combining high wood quality with high efficiency in charcoal conversion. The results of this study reinforce the importance of careful selection of technological wood properties and demonstrated the feasibility of applying multivariate methodologies as complementary tools in decision-making for the genetic improvement of forest species targeted at charcoal production.