Harvesting of Natural Rubber Trees <em>(Hevea brasiliensis)</em> Affected with Tapping Panel Dryness (TPD)

Abstract

Incidence of Tapping Panel Dryness (TPD) is generally high in relatively high yielding rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) clones and is characterized by partial followed by complete cessation of latex flow upon tapping leading to a severe crop loss. If TPD is left unchecked and untreated it will lead to significant economic losses to rubber growers. To-date there is no reliable method recommended to either cure or to obtain economic yields from such rubber trees. This study revealed that TPD trees rested during non-cropping months of a year had developed the capacity to yield around 25% of the yield potential (gtt) of a healthy tree when tapped during the cropping months in a year. And agrochemical called “DRC +3” and 1% ethephon were found to be capable of increasing the gtt of TPD trees by about 50 to 75% during the cropping season of a year. Further, it became apparent that through this method 60% of the length of the tapping cut of TPD trees became productive. Though the Dry Rubber Content (DRC) of latex declined with the use of both chemicals, an increased latex volume after the application of the chemicals sustained the yield throughout the study period. Hence it could be concluded that TPD trees rested from tapping during the low cropping season of a year could be harvested during cropping months together with the use of chemicals tested to achieve up to 50% of the gtt of a healthy tree.