Institute of Wood Science & Technology IWST-ICFRE, Bengaluru

The Government of Mysore had set up a Forest Research Laboratory (FRL) at Bangalore in 1938. In the initial years, work was carried out mainly on properties and uses of different timber species, essential oils, other non-wood forest products and protection of wood and trees from pests and diseases. In 1956, this laboratory was organised as a regional centre of Forest Research Institute and Colleges, Dehra Dun. In 1977, Sandal Research Centre was set up to undertake research on wide-ranging aspects of genetics, silviculture and management of sandal, a valuable tree well distributed all over Southern India. In 1977, the marine centres of Wood Preservation Branch, Forest Research Institutes & Colleges, Dehra Dun functioning at Vishakhapatnam, Madras, Goa and Kochi were transferred to Forest Research Laboratory, Bangalore.

Wood Properties and Uses (WPU) Division (Erstwhile Timber Utilization Branch) was created in the Institute when ICFRE was setup in 1988. The vision of the division is to achieve excellence in research, development and transfer of technology in wood properties for better and appropriate end uses for conservation of natural resources. The division is working on creation of database on anatomical, physical and mechanical properties of lesser known and plantation grown timbers for their improved utilisation and value addition, classification and grading of timber for different end uses, finding uses for lops and tops, wood properties as a tool for tree improvement, wood waste for value addition, development of testing methods for wood and wood products and disseminating the research findings on wood properties. Thus the division is involved in development and transfer of technology in wood properties for better and appropriate end uses for conservation of natural resources.