Assessing Crop Stands and Field Maintenance

Requirements in Rubber Plantations

Introduction

Tapping is the first step in the extraction of latex from the Rubber tree (Hevea
brasiliensis). It is defined as a controlled wounding whereby a thin shaving of
bark is cut and removed to allow the white sap or latex to come out of the bark
vessels.

The objective of tapping is to get as much latex as possible from the tree with
appropriate bark incision without affecting the health of the tree. Considering that
the costs of rubber operation, particularly labor cost continually increases,
tapping should therefore be defined as an operation that would give the highest
yields at the lowest possible cost, and that would sustain satisfactory plant
growth and bark regeneration for long term harvesting.

Since tapping is normally repeated in a systematic manner over a period of time,

it is therefore necessary to know specific tapping systems and procedures to
ensure orderly conduct of the operation.

Tapping is normally carried out on areas where grafted rubber trees have
already attained girth size of 45 cms. (18 inches) measured at 160 cms. (5 feet)
from the ground.

Setting up production operations will initially include determining the overall yield
potential of the area in terms of crop stand and tappability using the following
criteria as basis for assessment:

 total productive tree population,

 percentage of tappable trees in the new area, and
 physical conditions of all tappable trees.

The information will help management decide on the type of tapping systems to
be adopted and will serve as inputs for planning.

Determining the yield potential and tappability of the plantation will involve the
following activities:

1. Girth Census and Tree Count

When rubber trees have reached the age of 5 years after planting, they are
ready to be tapped. This operation should proceed when 60-70% of the
trees have attained tappable size. To ascertain that an area has a sufficient
number of trees to be tapped, an inventory or census of the crop stand is
carried out. When the prescribed percentage of tappable trees is attained,
the area is considered ready for tapping and a corresponding demarcation
of tasks boundaries should be established.

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 Assessing Crop Stands and Field Maintenance
Requirements in Rubber Plantations

Census is done by counting the number of trees in a given area that have
attained the required opening size of 45 cms. in circumference measured at
160 cms. from the ground. These trees are subsequently marked for
tasking.

For the old but productive areas, tree counting should be done on a per
block basis to establish the actual number of productive trees, and assess
the production potential of the mature crops. Appropriate adjustment in
task sizes and tapping systems should be made on the basis of productive
tree count and age, respectively. Regular counting of trees and the
corresponding adjustment of tasks size to conform to established standards
is important to adjust tapper requirement and control tapping costs. Setting
task sizes and tapping systems is discussed in Chapters 4 and 5,
respectively.

2. Tasking
After determining the actual tree count, management should proceed to
demarcate tasks boundaries based on the recommended tapping system
and tree requirement per tapper. Task size should conform to the specific
tree age and standard task size prescribed as presented in Table 1,
Chapter 4 (page 23) of this manual.

New areas would require specific tapping systems and task sizes different
from the old ones. This will have direct bearing on crop yield projections per
hectare and labor requirement of the operation. This subject will be
discussed in the succeeding chapters.

3. Inspection and Assessment of Field

Infrastructure and Maintenance Requirement
Parallel to the demarcation of task boundaries and tasking, management
should also conduct inspection and assessment of all existing infrastructure
in the field like roads, bridges, overflows, drainage, terraces and culverts to
know their status and requirements such as their need for repairs.

Field maintenance activities for rubber like fertilizing, weeding, pests and
diseases control and others to improve crop productivity and vigor should
also be planned and organized to ensure that these are included in the
annual operations plan. The reader is referred to Chapter 7 for an
extensive discussion on field maintenance requirements.

CAP-PBD Post-Replanting Rubber Manual 8