Pine trees produce wood for various purposes. Furthermore, they also produce resin, a non-timber forest product with high added value in the market. Resin is a major source of terpenes. The liquid fraction is turpentine, and the solid fraction is called rosin. Both are sources of raw material for the chemical industry (Lima et al. 2016). After processing, resin is composed of 80% rosin and approximately 20% turpentine (Salvador et al. 2020).
The first studies on resin exudation in species of Pinus spp. focused on tree survival against beetle attack. Overall, trees killed by beetles have smaller resin ducts than those of surviving trees, and these same trees continued to have larger resin ducts after the beetle outbreak. By increasing the volume of resin flow, larger resin ducts probably reduced the likelihood of successful beetle colonization on surviving trees substantially by providing sticky physical barriers, sealing beetle entry wounds, and releasing toxic compounds (Erbilgin et al. 2017, 2019; Mason et al. 2019).
Resin production in Brazil has experienced increased growth over the years, especially in the last five years. Between 2017 and 2018, more than 185 thousand tons of resin were produced. Particularly, after 2011, the natural resins sector grew by 103% (Schmid 2019). This scenario made Brazil the second largest producer in the world, behind only China (Neves et al. 2006; Schmid 2019). Much of the resin produced is exported, and most of the product is destined for Portugal, Vietnam, and China (Schmid 2019).
The largest producer of gum resin in Brazil is the State of São Paulo, followed by Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná. Together, they are responsible for approximately 80% of the national production of pine gum-resin (Júnior 2018). Of the total resin production in Brazil, 60% is extracted from P. elliottii var. elliottii in subtropical regions, and 30% is from P. caribaea var. hondurensis in tropical regions (Aguiar et al. 2012). Currently, the activity has expanded to other states, such as Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and southwestern regions of the state of São Paulo (Brazilian Association of Resin Producers - Associação de Resinadores do Brasil-ARESB 2019). Intraspecific variation should be considered when predicting how pine populations will face the increased biotic risk associated with global change, e.g., increase in Earth average temperature (Benito-Garzón and Fernández-Manjarrés 2015).
The main method of extracting resin from trees in Brazil is from striations. This is carried out by cutting from the tree bark to the cambium, not reaching the wood, from which exudation occurs. The resin that becomes available is stored in a collection container fixed under the tree (Candaten et al. 2021). Resin tapping in Pinus spp. forests dates to the Egyptian civilization (Garrido et al. 1998).
Resin extraction by the Brazilian system reached an experimental peak in the early 1970s with translation of the “Manual: Modern Resin Tapping Methods” (“Manual: Métodos de Moderna Resinagem”) used in the USA. It was written by Ralph W. Clements from Lake City Research Center, Florida with translation and adaptation by Gurgel Filho in 1970. Being Clements' manual, adapted and standardized for use in Brazil by Garrido et al. (1998), being a current reference in the cultivation of Pinus and resining.
Later, with the evolution of the resin system, this activity consisted of cutting the bark and wood with the objective of exposing the resin canals and allowing the resin to flow. These incisions, cuts or striations were repeated weekly to unclog the resin canals closed by crystallization (Marcelino 2004). As this process is very labor-intensive, several chemical products were tested to maintain resin flow without having to make such frequent cuts. To meet commercial forestry needs, the resin system has been improved and is comprised of six steps. In the first step, after surveying all trees in the plantation, those with DBH above 10 cm are chosen. The trunk is then cleaned for a smooth surface, and a mustache-incision is made for later fixation. In the fourth step, the collection container is placed. These are typically plastic bags fixed by wires that require constant monitoring in the first days of resin exudation to avoid leaks. The striation step involves incision through a striator iron up to the region of the vascular cambium and resin canals. Finally, an acidic paste is applied through a tube or laboratory wash bottle with the purpose of breaking the layers of cellulosic walls of the resin canals, thereby increasing the exudation of the resin canals (Ferreira 2001).
The resin system adds significant value to the culture of Pinus spp. However, the resin extraction process significantly affects tree growth in height and diameter. According to experiments carried out in Brazil and in other countries, it is estimated that the resin tapping system can cause a decline of around 25% in annual tree growth, but when the resin tapping system is stopped, trees continue to grow normally (Garrido et al. 1998). Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate different resin extraction methodologies, aiming to affect the dendrometric characteristics of the tree as little as possible since height and diameter strongly influence the volume of wood (m³) (Lousada et al. 2009).
As previously reported, we have seen that the resin tapping system consists of successively removing the bark from the stem of the trees, thus opening a rectangular panel. Stretch marks on the stem are performed every fifteen days, followed by placement of a stimulant which maintains the flow of resin into a container below the panel. This procedure is repeated periodically until the plan for forest management is completed. Based on the number of trees to be rosined and forest availability over a short period of time (2 or 3 years), it is possible, through a program of adaptive forest management, to maximize the use of these trees and minimize possible losses in productivity and wood quality at the end of resin tapping system exploration.
In order to improve the resin tapping system, while protecting tree growth, we aimed to determine the effect of five resin tapping systems during different collection periods on resin production and the growth of trees from Pinus elliottii var. elliottii.