Impact of different latex harvesting systems adopted by some growers on economic performance

Due to higher thickness of bark shavings and excessive recovery tappings (RT), the crop losses and the percentage tapping panel dryness (TPD) of rubber plantations are very high. This has resulted in either uprooting of rubber trees before reaching the potential economic lifespan or maintaining them at uneconomical levels. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the impact of different bark consumption (BC) rates associated with additional days of latex harvesting on yield and related parameters of rubber plantations in four estates (E1, E2, E3 and E4). An on-station experiment with five different harvesting systems, (i.e. T1 -S/2 d2 + rain guards (RG), T2 - S/2 d2 +3 RT per month, T3 - S/2 d2 + 5 RT per month, T4 - S/2 d3 + 2.5% Ethephon +RG and T5 - S/2 d1, was also tested with four rubber clones according to a split plot design with3 replicates in a 5.0 hectare field. Survey results revealed that the estates with management (E1 and E2) had a higher BC compared to well managed estates (E3 and E4). Intensive tapping systems and RT (T3 and T5) also led to significantly higher BC rates. It is estimated that high intensity (T3 and T5) tapping of the renewed panels will be consumed within 7-9 years, whilst those in normal tapping (T1 and T2) panels will be consumed normally within 10-12 years (potential lifespan). The higher number of RT and daily tappings would result in shortening of the economic lifespan of rubber trees with no significant increase in the yield per tree per tapping. More importantly, low frequency of harvesting (T4) will be extended the economic lifespan of both renewed panels more than 13 years with significantly higher yield per tree per tapping than the other harvesting systems.