Physical and mechanical properties of Ochroma pyramidale (Cav. ex Lam.) Urb. (balsa) wood growing in three Ecuadorian locations

Ecuador is currently the first Ochroma pyramidale wood producer in the world, increasing the number of plantations and wood processing industries. In this study, the objective was to evaluate the physical and mechanical properties of O. pyramidale wood growing in the center of the coast and north of the Ecuadorian Amazon. For this, the ages and location of the samples within the tree segment (bottom, centre and apex) were considered. The guidelines of the ASTM D143 standard were considered for the preparation and sizing of the test pieces, as well as for the execution of the tests. An ANOVA was used on a completely Random Design, and Tukey's test to determine significant differences. According to the results obtained, and taking into consideration the uses that are given to O. pyramidale wood the three-year-old woods from Sucumbíos and Orellana provinces presents better technological properties than the three and four-year-old woods from Los Ríos, which suggests that wood in the eastern zone can be harvested earlier than wood in the coastal zone, without affecting the technological properties of the O. pyramidale wood.