{"id":6709,"date":"2023-05-29T22:57:21","date_gmt":"2023-05-29T22:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/?p=6709"},"modified":"2024-10-21T20:31:11","modified_gmt":"2024-10-21T10:31:11","slug":"irg54-report-worlds-leading-wood-scientists-meet-in-qld","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/irg54-report-worlds-leading-wood-scientists-meet-in-qld\/","title":{"rendered":"IRG54 Report: World’s Leading Wood Scientists Meet in QLD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The 54th International Research Group on Wood Protection (IRG) conference is underway, with 190 delegates from 27 countries meeting in Cairns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IRG is the premier international forum for wood protection \u2013 with the annual conference covering all wood durability and protection aspects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the third time the IRG annual meeting has been held in Australia, with the first at Surfer\u2019s Paradise in 1983 and the second in Brisbane in 2003 \u2013 both covered by Wood Central\u2019s Senior Editor Jim Bowden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mark Fortune and Keiran Vane, Azelis, New Zealand, and Rhianna Robinson and Stuart Meldrum, DAF Research Facility, Brisbane, Queensland.
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French delegates at IRG 54 in Cairns\u2026 Dr Kevin Candelier, CIRAD, Dr Edmod Wozniak, W.Ed.Consulting, Dr Marie-France Thevenon, CIRAD, and Christine Gerardin-Charbonnier and Dr Philippe Gerardin, both from the University of Lorraine, France
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Michael Powell, University of the Sunshine Coast, Jack Norton and Professor
Jeffrey Morrell, both members of the IRG organisation team, and Brett Skews,
Arxada<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Welcome to the Conference<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

On Monday, attendees were welcomed by IRG president Dr. Lone Ross, Head of the Norwegian Institute of bioeconomy research, forest resources, Department of Wood Technology, and Professor Jeffery Morrell, head of the IRG54 Organising Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Jeff Morrell is the Director of the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life at the University of the Sunshine Coast and provided the first keynote presentation of the conference focused on \u201cWood Protection in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keynote Presentation \u2013 Wood Protection in Australia<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Professor Morrell\u2019s expertise is in wood deterioration and its prevention, where he has undertaken research to identify the fungi associated with the deterioration process, assess the potential for biological control of decay, methods for improving wood treatments, and systems for arresting decay once it has been initiated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Morrell originally trained as a forester because he wanted to save trees, but sees his career as having worked to achieve that through extending the service life of timber, thereby reducing the need to harvest additional wood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 1 Scientific Papers<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

On the first day there were 22 scientific papers delivered on the first day of the conference, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n