Abstract
Rubber industry plays a major role in the economy of Sri Lanka. Two types of commercial ethephon mixtures i.e. water-based and oil-based are presently marketed in Sri Lanka to use as yield stimulant of rubber. Though the yield performance of these mixtures had been studied, no proper investigation has been made on effectiveness of these two types of commercial ethephon mixtures on factors affecting latex regeneration and flow of Hevea brasiliensis. Mature rubber plantation with RRIC 121 genotype tapped on first virgin panel (BO-I) with S/2 d4 (half spiral once in four days) system was selected for the study. Yield related factors and latex physiological parameters of rubber trees stimulated with two types of commercial ethephon mixtures were determined on each tapping day during June - August, 2018. Daily latex volume per tree, daily dry rubber yield per tree (g/t/t), latex thiol content, latex polyphenol content and plugging index showed a similar pattern of variation between the rubber trees stimulated with water-based and oil-based ethephon over the experimental period and the variations were not statistically significant. Oil-based ethephon stimulated rubber trees had a significantly higher latex dry rubber content (43.80±0.37, 42.69±0.47, 42.13±0.50%) than water-based ethephon stimulated trees (40.63±0.36, 39.39±0.42, 39.59±0.36%) over the three consecutive stimulation cycles. Inorganic phosphorus content in latex was found to be 21-23% higher in trees applied with water-based stimulant than oil-based stimulant over the period studied. Oil-based stimulation showed 7-11% increase in latex flow duration than water-based stimulation. Though some physiological parameters of latex have been improved in trees with application of oil-based ethephon, yielding capacity for a particular period was statistically comparable in trees applied with water-based and oil-based ethephon.
Highlights
Introduction commercially cultivated plantation cropRubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is a for industrial production of latex (Verheye, 2010)
Harvesting of latex is the costliest operation in rubber plantations which has led to higher cost of production (COP) (Rodrigo et al, 2011)
A higher content of sucrose in latex may indicate a good loading to the laticifers (Jacob et al, 1989) which may positively effect on latex regeneration, the yield
Summary
Introduction commercially cultivated plantation cropRubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is a for industrial production of latex (Verheye, 2010). In order to mitigate the above mentioned issues prevailing in rubber plantation industry, mainly high COP and lack of skilled harvesters, low intensity harvesting (LIH) systems have been introduced. These systems allow trees to be tapped in a lesser frequency or lesser amount of bark consumption and ensure sustained production in rubber plantations (Njukeng et al, 2011). Though the yield performance of different low intensity harvesting systems with oil-based ethephon had been studied previously (Kudaligama et al, 2013), factors affecting latex regeneration and flow with oil-based ethephon and water-based ethephon under Sri Lankan conditions has not been studied in detail. This study was conducted with a view to investigate the effectiveness of water-based and oilbased ethephon on yield and factors affecting latex regeneration and flow of Hevea brasiliensis under Sri Lankan conditions
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