Opinion ID: 3049595
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Field Stake Testing

Text: Viance then undertook field stake tests on MCQ-treated wood. Field stake tests are an accepted method of testing the effectiveness of a wood preservative. 5 In the tests, stakes are treated with preservative and placed in the soil. The stakes are then evaluated periodically for decay. Stakes treated with the preservative being tested are often measured against untreated stakes and stakes treated with a proven preservative to evaluate the tested preservative’s relative performance. The tests performed by Viance began in April and May of 2007 in Hilo, Hawaii, and Tanegashima, Japan. For these particular tests, Viance bought commercially available square posts treated with either ACQ or MCQ and cut stakes from the corners of each.2 Viance hired Dr. Darrel Nicholas, a wood scientist at Mississippi State University, to inspect and rate the stakes. He concluded that MCQ stakes were “performing poorly” and that “it is apparent that the MCQ formulation is not performing in ground contact as would be expected for a commercial wood preservative.” He qualified his findings, however, by noting that additional data would be required to confirm his concern about the performance of MCQ-treated products. Dr. Nicholas has not inspected the stakes since his initial inspection.