Rubber

(Hevea brasiliensis )
Euphorbiaceae

Many plant species produce natural rubber. Considerations of quality and economics, however,
limit the source of natural rubber to one species, namely Hevea brasiliensis.
 ORIGIN & DISTRIBUTION
• It is a native of the Amazon basin and introduced from there to countries in the tropical
belts of Asia and Africa during late 19th century. It can be termed as the most far reaching
and successful of introductions in plant history resulting in plantations over 9.3 million
hectares, 95 per cent of it across the globe in Asia.
• The rubber growing regions in India can be classified under two major zones, traditional
and non-traditional on the basis of agro-climatic conditions.
• Traditional Regions
Rubber cultivation in India has been traditionally confined to the southwest coast, mainly in
Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• Non-traditional Regions
• These are coastal Karnataka, Goa, Konkan Region of Maharashtra, hinterlands of coastal
Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, the northeastern states, Andaman and Nicobar Islands etc,
where rubber is now being grown.
PLANT DESCRIPTION
• The rubber tree may live for a hundred years or even more. But its
economic life period in plantations, on general considerations is, only
around 32 years – 7 years of immature phase and 25 years of
productive phase.

• Commercial cultivation of rubber in India was started in 1902.

Agro-climatic Requirements

• Humid tropical climate prevails in the rubber-growing tract.

• Rainfall of 2000 to 3000 mm evenly distributed without any marked
dry season and with 125 to 150 rainy days per annum
• Maximum temperature of about 29oC to 34oC and minimum of about
20oC or more with a monthly mean of 25 to 28oC
• High atmospheric humidity of the order of 80%
• Bright sunshine amounting to about 2000 h per annum at the rate of
6 h per day through all the months
• Absence of strong winds
 Varieties
• Tjir 1, PB 86, BD 5, BD 10, PR 17, GT 1, RRII 105, RRIM 600, PB 28/59,
PB 217, PB 235, RRIM 703, RRII 5, PCK-1, 2 and PB 260

Multiclone planting recommendations - Traditional Region Multiclone planting recommendations - North Eastern Region
RRII 105, PB 260, RRII 414 and RRII 430, RRII 417 RRIM 600
Category I Category I
and RRII 422
RRIM 600, GT 1, RRII 5, PB 28/59, PB 217, RRII 255, RRII 105, GT1, PB 235, RRII 203, RRII 208,
Category II Category II
RRII 203, PB 280, PB 312 and PB 314 RRII 429 RRII 417, and RRII 430

RRII 50, RRII 51, RRII 52, RRII 118, RRII 176, RRII 208, RRII 5, RRII 422, RRII 118, PB 260, PB 310, PB
RRII 300, RRII 429, PR 107, PR 255, PR 261, PB 86, 311, RRIM 703, SCATC 88/13, SCATC 93/114
PB 5/51, PB 235, PB 311, PB 330, RRIM 605, RRIM and Haiken I and Polyclonal seeds
Category III 701, RRIM 703, RRIM 712, RRIC 100, RRIC 102, RRIC Category III
130, KRS 163, IRCA 111, IRCA 130, SCATC 88-13,
SCATC 93-114, Haiken 1, BPM 24 and Polyclonal
seeds
Soil
• It requires deep and lateritic fertile soil with an acidic pH of 4.5 to 6.0 and highly deficient in
available phosphorous.
• Soil for rubber cultivation should have a minimum depth of one meter without any
intervening hardpan or impenetrable layer.
• Water table should also be well below one meter so that at least one meter of soil with
good aeration, essential for root penetration is available.
• Well-drained soil is essential for optimum growth and yield of rubber plants. In owing to
poor physical properties and waterlogged conditions growth of rubber is always found to be
very poor.
Propagation of Rubber
• In India, Hevea seeds normally ripen during July-September when the seeds are
collected and seedlings raised. All earlier plantations were raised from unselected
seeds. The yield potential of these having been low, the production of those
plantations was poor. Selection work on Hevea with a view to improving the
planting materials and the introduction of vegetative propagation by budding led,
in course of time, to the establishment of numerous valuable clones.
Germination of Seeds
• Rubber seeds lose viability very rapidly if left in the field. The seeds are therefore picked up
daily during the seed fall season and quickly transported to nurseries for germination and
planting.
• For germination, raised level beds with a 5 cm thick layer of river sand, 90 cm wide and of
convenient lengths are used. Partial shade in order to prevent strong sun is necessary. The
seeds are sown in a single layer touching one another and germination beds are kept
moist, but not wet, by evenly sprinkling water during morning and evening. The seeds are
covered with loosely woven coir matting or gunnies.
• Germination starts 6 to 7 days after sowing. Seeds sprouted each day should be picked
and planted in nursery beds or in the field as the case may be. Germinated seeds will have
young roots emerging first. That is the ideal stage for nursery planting. The sproutings are
tender and require careful handling. Usually, germinated seeds are carried to nursery beds
in buckets half filled with water.
• About 75 percent germination is considered good. Pickings are done for about 21 days
after sowing.
Brown Budding
• Brown budding is generally carried out by grafting brown coloured buds taken from budwood of about one year's
growth onto stock plants of 10 months or more growth.
• Vigorously growing healthy stocks having a girth of 7.5 cm at the collar region are ideal for budding.
• Stocks should be budded when the bark peels off very easily.

Green Bud Shoots

After collection of the shoots, their leaf bearing top portion is cut off. The leafless lower part having the scale leaves
are used for taking buds. Since green bud shoots are tender it is better to use them for budding immediately after
harvesting. Usually shoots harvested in the morning are used on the same day, preferably by noon.

Seedling Stumps
Seedling prepared to a convenient size by pruning the stem and roots are called seedling stumps. Healthy and
vigorous one year old seedlings are generally used for this. The seedlings should have a minimum girth of about 7.5
cm at the base and brown colour up to a height of 45 cm or more. For stumping, at first, the seedlings are cut back
at some point between 45 and 60 cm, where the brown colour ends.
 Brown Budding

Green Bud Shoots

Seedling Stumps
Tissue Culture

• Propagation of rubber is possible through tissue culture also. Tissue

culture or micro propagation is the technique of producing plants
from small (micro) pieces of plant tissues. Studies on tissue culture of
rubber plants were started in 1966. Different parts of the plant such
as embryo, anther, shoot tip can be used for tissue culture.
Nursery Management
• For rapid and economic production of good quality planting materials, very careful
management of the nursery is necessary.
• In India, seed fall occurs generally from July to September and hence the period available for
nursery growth is about 10 months.
• Therefore, efficient nursery management should aim at production of the maximum number of
buddable or transplantable seedlings at the end of the 10 month period.
• Nurseries are established and maintained for raising various propagation materials for
planting. These include seedling stumps, budded stumps and advanced planting materials
like polybag plants, stumped buddings.
• Mother plants or source bushes for the multiplication of budwood are also grown in nurseries.
 Area required for various types
of nurseries
Area required for various types of nurseries for producing planting materials necessary for 100 ha

Planting material to be Density (per ha) No. of plants* Area required (ha)
produced Spacing(cm) required for 1 ha
Initial Final Effective Gross**
of main field

Budded stumps 30 x 30 111110 74074 500 0.675 0.750

Seedling stumps 30 x 30 111110 88000 550 0.625 0.695

Stumped buddings, Maxi 90 x 90 12350 9880 500 5.000 5.550

Stumped buddings, Mini 60 x 60 27775 22220 500 2.000 2.500

Polybag 2 - 3 whorls --- --- 25000 500 2.000 2.500

Polybag 6 - 7 whorls --- --- 18000 500 2.750 3.400

Nursery
• Bed size: 60-120 cm width and of convenient length.
Spacing: Seedling stumps – 23 x 23 cm, 30 x 30 cm and 34 x 20 cm
Budded stumps – 30 x 30 cm
Stump budding – 60 x 60 cm
Bud wood nursery – 60 x 90 cm or 60 x 120 cm.
 Land reparation &Planting
Season
•In India, rubber plantations are established in forest clearings, rubber replantings or by crop replacement.
•Most of the areas available for rubber cultivation are highly undulating and the extent of flat lands suitable for
planting rubber is limited.
•These situations necessitate clearing of the land and adoption of proper soil conservation measures before
planting rubber.
Since June-July is the ideal period for planting rubber in South India, all the pre-planting operations should be
completed before the onset of monsoon.
Planting:
• Pit size of 1 m3 are dug and filled up with top soil and compost

Planting material Spacing (m) Population / ha

Budded plants
Hilly areas 6.7 X 3.4 445
Plains 4.9 X 4.9 420
Seedlings
Hilly areas 6.1 X 3.0 539
Plains 4.6 X 4.6 479

In situ sowing: Germinated seeds are sown in situ in the pits. Healthy ones are retained and
the others removed.
Manuring
For immature rubber trees at pre-tapping stage
• Apply 12 kg of compost or FYM and 120 g of rock phosphate in each pit before planting.
• Apply 10:10:4:1.5 NPK and Mg as per schedule given below:
Quantity per plant
Months after planting Period of application 10:10:4
3 September/October 225 g
9 April/May 445 g
15 September/October 450 g
21 April/May 450 g
27 September/October 550 g
33 April/May 550 g
39 September/October 450 g
Intercropping

• During the initial years of a rubber plantation, the land area is not fully occupied by the rubber plants and inter
spaces are available in the plantation which receive plenty of sunlight. These interspaces can be utilized for
growing intercrops, which will help the farmer to generate additional revenue. Intercrops should be planted
atleast 1.5 M away from plant bases. Intercrops should be separately and adequately manured.
The Common Intercrops Cultivated in Rubber Plantations

• Banana
• Pineapple
• Ginger and Turmeric
• Vegetables
• Medicinal Plants
• Tuber crops
Mulching, Shading and Whitewashing

• Mulching or covering the plant basin with dry leaves, cover crop
cuttings, grass cuttings, paddy straw etc is a recommended practice in
rubber plantations to protect soil in the immediate vicinity of the plants
from direct impact of heavy rains and sunlight causing soil degradation.
• During the year of planting young plants may be protected by shading
before the beginning of summer. Plaited coconut leaves or used gunny
bags can be used for this purpose.
• The brown bark of the young plants can be protected from the
scorching action of the sun by whitewashing the main stem of the plant
from the second year of planting. This may be continued till canopy of
the plants develops and partially shades the plantation. Whitewashing
can be done using lime or china clay.
Methods of Weed Control

• Weeds can be controlled by either manual methods or with the use of

chemicals known as herbicides. However, an integrated method
involving a combination of these two methods is more economical
and eco friendly.
Tapping and Stimulation
Hevea latex in the latex vessels of tapped trees contains 30-45 per cent rubber in the form of particles. Latex is
obtained from the bark of the rubber tree by tapping. Tapping is a process of controlled wounding during which thin
shavings of bark is removed. The aim of tapping is to cut open the latex vessels in the case of trees tapped for the first
time .
Standard of Tappability and Height of Opening

Budded plants are regarded as tappable when they attain a girth of 50 cm (20 inch) at a height of 125 cm (50 inch) from
the bud union. In seedlings, the first opening for tapping is recommended at a height of 50 cm when the girth is 55 cm.
If opening at a higher level is preferred, the seedling trees can be opened at a height of 90 cm when the girth at that
level is 50 cm.
It will be generally economic to begin tapping when 70 per cent of the trees in the selected area attain the standard
girth. In the traditional region it takes an average of seven years to reach this state. Planting of advanced materials like
polybag plants can reduce the immaturity period.
In India, the best period to open new areas for tapping is March-April. The trees that are left behind during the season
for want of sufficient girth may be considered for opening in September

The main implements used for tapping and collection of latex are knives, spouts, cup hangers, collection cups, collection
buckets and scrap baskets.
During refoliation and flowering of rubber trees, the yield will be comparatively poor and normally trees are given about
four weeks rest if the soil is very dry and yield is uneconomic.
Time of Tapping and Tapping Task
It is necessary to commence tapping early in the morning, since late tapping will reduce the exudation of
latex due to increased transpiration by the trees leading to lower turgor pressure in latex vessels. Such
reduction is more marked in the summer months.
The number of trees allotted to a tapper for a day’s tapping is known as tapping task. Task size is fixed on
the basis of stand of trees per ha and topography of land. Normal tapping task in India varies from 300 to
400 trees. Task size is reduced when double cut or other intensive systems are adopted.

Processing
Crop Collection
• The main crop from a rubber plantation is latex, a milky white dispersion of rubber in water, which is
harvested by the tapping process. Two to three hours after tapping, the latex collected in the cup is
transferred to a clean bucket. The latex which gets solidified in the tapping panel and the collection cups also
form part of the crop and are collected by the tapper in a basket just prior to tapping.
Ethrel treatment

• Ethrel is recommended to increase latex yield of trees. It is applied at

5% a.i. concentration with a brush below the tapping cut to a width of
5 cm after light scraping of the outer bark. The first application may
be done after a drought period preferably after a few pre-monsoon
showers and subsequent applications may be done in September and
November. However, continuous application of Ethrel is not
recommended for periods of more than 3 years at a stretch.
Plant protection

• Pests
Scale insect
When severe infestation is noticed, spray Organophosphorus insecticides like malathion 50 EC
2 ml/lit.
• Mealy bug
Spray fish oil rosin-soap 25 g/lit. Release Austalian lady bird beetle, Cryptolaemus
montrouzieri @ 10/tree.
• Termite (White ant)
Drench the soil at the base of affected plants with Chlorpyriphos 20 EC 2 ml/litre.
• Cockchafer grub
Drench soil at the base of plants in the affected area with the solution of Chlorpyriphos 20 EC
2 ml/litre.
• Mites
Spray Sulphur 50 WP at 2 g/lit or spray Dicofol 18.5 EC 2.5 ml/lit.
 Diseases
• Abnormal leaf fall
Prophylactic spraying on the foliage prior to the onset of South-West monsoon with, Bordeaux mixture 1% at 4000 - 5000 lit/ha using
high volume sprayers.

Oil based Copper oxy chloride using low volume sprayer or through aerial application.
Two rounds of spray using about 17 to 22 lit of fungicide oil mixture per ha per round (1:6 proportion) at 10 to 15 days interval (or) a
single round of spray with about 30 - 37 lit of fungicide oil mixture per ha (1:5 proportion).
• Secondary leaf fall
The control measures suggested for abnormal leaf fall will check this disease also.
• Powdery mildew
Dusting during the defoliation period commencing from the bud break in about 10% of the trees, giving 3 to 5 rounds at weekly to
fortnightly intervals before 10.00 a.m. using 11 to 14 kg 325 mesh fine Sulphur dust per round per ha. Sulphur dust can be mixed with
talc in the proportion of 7:3. Wettable sulphur (1 kg in 4000 lit of water) is also effective in nurseries and for young plants as a spray.
• Bird's eye spot
Repeated sprayings with Bordeaux mixture 1% or Mancozeb or Copper oxychloride 0.2%. Provide shade in nursery. Give balanced
manuring to increase tree vigour.
• Leaf spot
Spray 1% Bordeaux mixture or 0.2% Mancozeb, or 0.1% Carbendazim at fortnightly intervals.
• Pink disease
Frequent tree to tree inspection should be done during July – September period for detecting the infected
trees and application of Bordeaux paste in the early stages upto 30 cm above and below the affected region.
In advanced cases apply Bordeaux paste and when it dries up scrape off the superficial mycelium and
damaged bark and apply Bordeaux paste once again. Prune off and burn the dried up branches after
disinfecting by Bordeaux spraying.
• Patch canker or Bark cankers
The affected region may be scraped to remove all the rooting bark and the coagulated rubber and the wound
washed well with Dithane M 45 @ 0.75 %. When the fungicide dries up apply wound dressing compound.
• Dry rot, Stump rot, Collar rot or Charcoal rot
Clean up affected areas, by washing with Carbendazim (0.1%) solution. Scrape out the fructifications.
Affected bark and wood show black lines. Wash the wound again with fungicide solution. When it dries up
apply a wound dressing compound. Avoid accumulation of rubber at the base of the trees.
• Brown root disease
Open up the root system. Completely killed and dried roots may be traced and pruned. Partially affected and
healthy roots washed withfungicide Carbendazim (0.1%) solution. When the fungicide dries up, a thin
coating with a wound dressing compound may be given. Refill the soil and drench the base with fungicide
solution.
Yield
• Rubber yield steeply increases year by year, reaching a peak after 14
years of planting. In South India, the annual yield of rubber is 375
kg/ha from seedlings trees, whereas budded plants yield 800 - 1000
kg/ha.