Rubber Plantation Business for Beginners
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Transcript of Rubber Plantation Business for Beginners
ContentsChapter 1 – Choosing Base and Plant
Choosing Base/Land ...................................................................................... 3
Choosing Plant ............................................................................................. 4
Types of rubber ......................................................................................... 4
Types of Natural Rubber .............................................................................. 6
Processed Rubber Material ........................................................................ 7
Conventional Natural Rubber .................................................................... 10
Concentrated Latex ................................................................................ 13
Block Rubber ........................................................................................ 15
Crumb Rubber ...................................................................................... 16
Tyre Rubber ........................................................................................ 16
Reclaimed Rubber ................................................................................. 17
Synthetic Rubber and Its Quality Standard ....................................................... 18
Common Usage of Synthetic Rubber ............................................................ 18
Special Usage of Synthetic Rubber ............................................................. 19
Advantages of Rubber ................................................................................ 21
Advantages of Natural Rubber ................................................................... 21
Advantages of Synthetic Rubber ................................................................. 23
Other Usage of Rubber Tree ........................................................................ 23
Tillage and Planting Process ........................................................................... 28
Planting ................................................................................................... 30
Rubber Planting System .............................................................................. 30
i.Poly-culture System .............................................................................. 30
ii.Mono-culture System ............................................................................ 32
Way of Planting Seedlings ........................................................................... 33
i.Dismantling Seedlings ........................................................................... 33
ii. Transport ......................................................................................... 33
Planting Execution .................................................................................... 34
i.Planting Rubber ................................................................................... 34
ii.Planting Cover Crops ............................................................................ 35
Seeds’ Need .............................................................................................. 36
Maintaining Plant before Production ................................................................. 37
Replanting .............................................................................................. 37
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 3
~CHAPTER 1~
CHOOSING BASE AND PLANT
Choosing Base/Land
Choosing your base or your land for the
plantation is not that easy. Before you choose
the land that you need, you have to check what
kind of environmental condition is suitable for
planting rubber plants (Hevea Brasiliensis).
Hevea Brasiliensis or rubber plant
requirements to survive:
Planted around 0-400m above sea level with the maximum slope of 45°
Deep, well drained loamy soil. Loamy soil has more nutrients and it is more humus
than sandy soils, and others. It also retains water.
It needs to be on the plateau so it does not need to tolerate flooding.
It can stay on land of pH 4-8 which is acidic and slightly alkaline.
Figure 1.1- Land of a Rubber Plantation
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 4
It needs some legumes (groundcover):
o To control the weeds.
o To create less competition on the land.
o Produces more nitrogen which makes nitrogen not a limited factor.
o Keeping soil moist.
Requires annual rainfall of 1500-4000mm/year, evenly throughout the year best will
be between 2500-4000mm with 100-150 rainy days per year.
The best temperature for this tree is between 20°C-27°C.
Rubber plantation should be connected in one area and to scattered. The
unification of these areas meant for the young plants are easily controlled.
After attaining this knowledge you will be able to look for the suitable place to
plant the Hevea Brasiliensis. The list above will be able to let you choose the place
and survey the location for the plantation.
Choosing Plant
Types of rubber
Before choosing a
plant, there are other
things you need to know. These things are what you call 2
types of rubber. These 2 types are the Natural rubber and the
Synthetic Rubber.
Figure 1.2 - Above = Natural Rubber Below = Synthetic Rubber
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 5
Synthetic Rubber is used frequently compared to natural rubber. This is
because it has more types of chemical and the price remains stable. It rarely causes
any problems sending or supplying consumers. Even though the total production of
natural rubber is lower compared to synthetic rubber, natural rubber cannot be
replaced by synthetic rubber. Natural rubber has its own excellence that cannot be
surpassed by synthetic rubber.
There are more advantages of the natural rubber:
• It has perfect resilience and elasticity.
• It has good plasticity that it simplifies the process.
• Low heat power.
• High groove cracking resistance.
There are also other factors that make synthetic rubber special:
• Resistance to various types of chemical.
• Stable Price.
• Rarely has any problems sending or supplying to consumers.
The points above are the things that natural rubber lacks. The price and supply of
natural rubber will always change, and sometimes it changes turbulently. This turbulent
change of price damages the market and troubles the producers. Sometimes because of the
release of new regulations from the producer’s government the international market will be
affected.
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 6
Even though natural rubbers have some weakness in the chemical side, it has a good
market share. These market shares are:
• Tyre Industry – tyre uses more natural rubber, even though it mixes with
synthetic rubber.
• Air Plane Industry – almost all of the raw materials of airplane is made put of
natural rubber.
Production ratio of Natural rubber and Synthetic rubber is 1 to 2. However the total
consumption of both is almost the same.
Year 1990 2000 2005Natural Rubber
- Production 1.262 1.501 2.267- Consumption 108 139 218
Synthetic Rubber- Production 10.310 10.335 10.605- Consumption 65 130 179Table 1.1 - Production and Consumsion Comparison of Natural Rubber and Synthetic Rubber
Average number of synthetic rubber entrepreneur, realise that total use of natural
rubber cannot increase without decreasing the total number of request of synthetic rubber.
The world industries still need both types of rubber. These two types of rubbers have their
own marketing share. They are not actually killing or fighting each other fully, but they have
complementary nature towards each other.
Types of Natural Rubber
There are various types of natural rubber. The most common or well-known is the
processed rubber. Processed rubber have some done and some half-done. Types of natural
rubbers are:
Source: Panduan Lengkap Karet
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 7
• Processed rubber material ( Plantation latex, Thin Slab, Wind Sheet, Fresh
Lump)
• Conventional Rubber ( Ribbed Smoked Sheet, White crepe and Pale crepe,
estate brown crepe, compo crepe, thin brown crepe re-mills, thick blanket
crepe ambers, flat bark crepe, pure smoke blanket crepe, and off crepe)
• Concentrated Latex
• Block Rubber
• Crumb rubber
• Tyre rubber
• Reclaimed rubber
Processed Rubber Material
This rubber is a plantation rubber as it is made out of a lump of plantation
latex recovered by a tree called Hevea Brasiliensis. There are 4 types of processed
tuber material:
• Plantation Latex
• Wind Sheet
• Thin Slab
• Fresh Lump
I. Plantation Latex
Figure 1. 3 - Plantation Latex
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 8
Plantation latex is liquid latex that can be gained from tapping the rubber tree. This
liquid will group together with or without stabilizer (anti-coagulant agent). Plantation latex
also has requirements to reach the marketing standard.
The requirements are:
• It needs to be filtered using 40 mesh strainer/filter.
• No leaf, branches or other dirt.
• It is not mixed with latex slurry, water or latex’s serum.
• It is white in colour and smells like fresh rubber.
• Class 1 plantation latex contains 28% dry rubber content and Class 2
plantation latex contains 20% dry rubber contain.
II. Wind Sheet
This is the filtered and blobbed with formic acid
processed rubber material. It has already been milled but just
not done yet. There are also requirements for wind sheet to
reach the marketing standard.
These requirements are:
• Latex need to be milled and blobbed to release water or its serum.
• Mill development is used as the last milling.
• Dirt cannot be visible.
• While storing, it cannot be exposed to direct sunlight and water.
Figure 1. 4 - Wind Sheet
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 9
III. Thin Slab
It is a processed rubber material that is blobbed using formic acid. There are
also requirements to reach the marketing standard.
• Not mixed with not fresh blub.
• Water or serum has to be released by milling or compression.
• Dirt is not visible.
• While storing, it cannot be exposed to direct sunlight or water.
• Thin slab class 1 has 70% dry rubber content and thin slab class 2 has
60% dry rubber content.
• First level of thickness is 30mm and second level of thickness is
40mm.
IV. Fresh lump
Processed rubber material that is not made out of
plantation latex happens naturally inside a bowl. Fresh lump also have requirements
to meet the marketing standard.
These requirements are:
• Dirt cannot be visible.
• While storing, it cannot be exposed to direct sunlight or water.
• Fresh lump class 1 has 60% of dry rubber content and fresh lump class
2 has 50% of dry rubber content.
Figure 1. 5 - Fresh Lump
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 10
• First level of thickness is 40mm and second level of thickness is
60mm.
Conventional Natural Rubber
There are types of processes rubber that falls under conventional natural rubber.
These processed rubbers are what you call “crepe” and “sheet”. In the Green Book published
by the International Rubber Quality and Packing Conference, this type of natural rubber falls
under the quality section.
Types of Conventional Rubbers are:
A) Ribbed Smoked Sheet
Ribbed Smoked Sheet or usually called RSS is the type
of rubber that consist sheets of “sheet”. It has nicely got the
fumigation process and has few classes that classify its quality.
These classes are:
• X RSS, this class has the highest quality of RSS.
• RSS 1
• RSS 2
• RSS 3
• RSS 4
Figure 1.6 - Ribbed Smoked Sheet
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 11
• RSS 5
B) White Crepe and Pale Crepe
This crepe is called white and pale is because it is either
white coloured or light coloured. These crepes also have
thick and thin types. Standard quality and classes of white crepe and pale crepe are:
• No. 1 X thin white crepe
• No.1 X thin pale crepe
• No. 1 thin white crepe
• No. 1 thick pale crepe
• No.2 thick pale crepe
• No. 3 thick pale crepe
C) Estate Brown Crepe
This crepe is brown coloured. It is usually used by big
plantation and estate. It is made by moderate quality materials
that were used to make off crepe and the leftover latex, lump of
coagulum from coagulation. Some types of estate brown crepe
are:
• No 1 X thick brown crepe
• No 2 X thick brown crepe
Figure 1.7 - Pale Crepe
Figure 1.8 - Estate Brown Crepe
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 12
• No 3 X thick brown crepe
D) Compo Crepe
This crepe is made out of lumps, tree scrap and leftovers from RSS or wet slab. Land
and soil scrap can’t be used to make compo crepe. Some types of compo crepe are:
• No 1 Compo
• No 2 Compo
• No 3 Compo
E) Thin Brown Crepe Re-mill
This type of crepe is the same as estate brown crepe except this is milled and become
thinner. Usually thick rubber or thicker than thin brown crepe will be milled again and
become thin brown crepe. Types of this crepe are:
• No 1 thin brown crepe re-mills
• No 2 thin brown crepe re-mills
• No 3 thin brown crepe re-mills
• No 4 thin brown crepe re-mills
F) Thick Blanket Crepes Ambers
This type of crepe is thick and brown in colour. It is usually made from wet slab,
sheet that has not been smoked and lump with scrap from plantation or national park with
good quality. Land scrap can’t be used. If you want to use scarp, bark needs to be cleaned
from the remaining tree bark. Some types of these crepes are:
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 13
• No 2 thick blanket crepe ambers
• No 3 thick blanket crepe ambers
• No 4 thick blanket crepe ambers
G) Flat Bark Crepe
This crepe is actually an earth rubber. It is made from natural rubber scrap that has not
been processed, including the earth scrap that is black colour. One example of this crepe is:
• Hard Flat Bark Crepe
H) Pure Smoked Blanket Crepe
This crepe is gain from milling smoked rubber especially from ribbed smoke sheet
(RSS), block sheet, or pieces of ribbed smoked sheet.
I) Off Crepe
This type of crepe is not considered as standard form. It usually does not undergo
direct freezing from fresh latex. This is because it is made out of low quality waste/remaining
material that has, so off crepe have low value and uses. User or consumer does not really care
about off crepe because it does not reach the criteria.
Concentrated Latex
Concentrated latex is a type of rubber that is in
concentrated liquid state, not shaped, sheets and other solids.
Concentrated latex sold in the markets will go through boiling
Figure 1.9 - Concentrated Latex put into tanks to separate the high
ammonia and low ammoniaSource: Thio Goan Loo, 1980
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 14
process, and then it will be creamed through certifying process into centrifuged latex.
This latex is also usually used mostly for thin rubber materials and high quality materials.
No. Commentary Centrifuged Latex Creamed Latex1 Total Solid (minimum) 61.5% 64.0%2 Dry Rubber Content (minimum) 60.0% 62.0%
3Difference in number of item 1 and 2 (maximum)
2.0% 2.0%
4Ammonia Level, according the total number of water in concentrated rubber (minimum)
1.6% 1.6%
5 Viscosity at 250°C (maximum) 50 centipoises 50 centipoises6 Sludge from fresh weigh (maximum) 0.10% 0.10%7 Total Coagulum Level(maximum) 0.08% 0.08%8 Number of Potassium Hydroxide/KOH 0.80 0.809 Mechanical Stability (minimum) 475 seconds 475 seconds
10Copper Content Percentage from solids (maximum)
0.001% 0.001%
11Manganese Content Percentage from solids (maximum)
0.001% 0.001%
12 ColourNot blue,Not grey
Not blue,Not grey
13Smell after being neutralize using borate
Should not stink Should not stink
Table 1.2 - Concentrated Latex Standard Quality
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 15
Block Rubber
Block rubber is crumb rubber that has been dried and pressed, and then it will
become bales with specific size. This type of rubber
is light-coloured and every class has its own colour
code. Standard Quality of block rubber is stated on
Standard Indonesian Rubber (SIR) and Standard
Malaysian Rubber (SMR) on the next page:
Commentary SIR 5L SIR 5 SIR 10 SIR 20 SIR 50Levels of impurity (maximum) 0.05% 0.05% 0.1% 0.2% 0.5%Ash Content (maximum) 0.5% 0.5% 0.75% 1% 1.5%Levels of Volatile substance (maximum)
1% 1% 1% 1% 1%
PRI (minimum) 60 60 50 40 30Plasticity – Po (minimum) 30 30 30 30 30Colour limit – Lovibond scale (minimum)
6 - - - -
Colour code Green Green - Red Yellow Table1.3 - Standard Indonesian Rubbers (SIR)
Figure 1.10 - Block RubberSource: Thio Goan Loo, 1980
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 16
Commentary SMR 5L SMR 5 SMR 10 SMR 20 SMR 50Levels of impurity with 325 mesh strainer hole 44 (maximum)
0.05% 0.05% 0.1% 0.2% 0.5%
Ash Content (maximum) 0.6% 0.6% 0.75% 1% 1.5%Nitrogen Content 0.65% 0.65% 0.65% 0.65% 0.65%Level of volatile substance 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%Plasticity retention (maximum) 60 60 50 40 30Plasticity Wallace (minimum) 30 30 30 30 30Colour limit 6% - - - -
Colour CodeLight green
Light green
Brown Red Yellow
Wrap colour Clear Clear Clear Clear ClearPlastic strip colour Clear Cloudy Cloudy Cloudy Cloudy
Table 1.4 -Standard Malaysian Rubbers (SMR)
Crumb Rubber
Crumb rubber is a natural rubber that is specially made so its
technical quality is guaranteed. Quality determination is also based on
its technical properties. Colour or visual value became the basic quality
grouping on the type of rubber such as “sheet” and “crepe”. However
“Concentrated latex” also applicable for this one type.
Competition between natural rubber and synthetic rubber is caused by the rise of
crumb rubber. Synthetic rubber’s requests tend to increase as the quality is guaranteed in
every bale. Description of technical nature and features of each type of synthetic rubber
quality are also included. These stuffs are also included in crumb rubber. This rubber is
repacked in small bales, and in uniformed weight and size. It is also has laboratory test
certificate and closed with sheets of polythene plastics.
Tyre Rubber
Figure 1.11 - Crumb Rubber Powder
Source: Thio Goan Loo, 1980
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 17
Tyre rubber is a different shape of natural rubber that is produced as
undone materials so it can be used by consumer straight. It is good to
make tyres or other stuff that uses natural rubber as raw material. It
is made in Malaysia since 1972. The creator intended to improve
competitiveness of natural rubber to synthetic rubber. Even though in
Indonesia, this type of rubber is not common, but in Malaysia tyre
rubber has already been sold according to Standard Malaysian
Rubber (SMR). Compare to conventional rubber, tyre rubber is
the better fabric for tyre and other rubber product. Tyre rubber also has other advantages
which is better in mixing with synthetic rubber.
Reclaimed Rubber
Reclaimed rubber is the rubber that is reprocessed from former rubber material
goods, especially car and other moving tyres. Because of this, it is called reclaimed
rubber.it is a product of scrap that has been vulcanized.
Alexander Parkes is the first person who attempts this type of rubber and until now
reclaimed rubber is still needed, in fact in large amount. It is usually used as mixed
material because it is easy to shape in mould and it is good adhesion.
Reclaimed rubber enables faster mastication and mixing. Products
produce are also firm and long lasting/ durable. Reclaimed rubber
petrol resistance is way better than newly made natural rubber. Ebonite is
also made from reclaimed rubber.
However it is less elastic and it has less friction resistance
according to its nature as former used rubber. This is why rubber is not good enough to
make tyre.
Figure 1.12 - Tyre from tyre rubber
Figure 1.13 - Reclaimed Rubber
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 18
Synthetic Rubber and Its Quality Standard
Synthetic rubber mostly made by depending on petroleum. Synthetic rubber has
grown in a large scale since World War II. In reality total natural rubber supply is not
enough to fulfil the World needs of rubber; this is based on assumption during and after
the war. Industries in developed countries are the pioneer of the development of types of
synthetic rubber. There are a lot of synthetic rubbers known already. Usually every type
has their own unique characteristics. There are types that are resistance to heat or high
temperature, oil/fuel, the effect of air, even impermeable gas.
According to its benefits, there are 2 types of well-known synthetic rubber that is
used commonly and synthetic rubber that is used for special needs.
Common Usage of Synthetic Rubber
Synthetic rubber is used for many need, a lot of functions of natural rubber can be
replaced. Types of Synthetic Rubber for common/general usage are as stated below.
1) SBR (Styrene Butadiene Rubber)
SRB is the most produced and used synthetic
rubber. It has good abrasion resistance and the heat
generated is also low. However, the SRB that has not
been added reinforcing material have lower strength
compare to vulcanized natural rubber. Hot SBR produced
by emulsion process at a temperature of 50°C. Cold SBR
is made at a temperature of 5°C. From the 2 types
mention earlier cold SBR is more commonly used. Some types of cold SBR are:
• Series 1500 only for cold SBR
Figure 1.14 - Styrene Butadiene Rubber
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 19
• Series 1600 for cold SBR + Soot or Black carbon
• Series 1700 for cold SBR + Oil
• Series 1800 for cold SBR + Soot + Oil
2) BR (Butadiene Rubber) of Poly-butadiene Rubber
Compare to SBR, this rubber is weaker, concentration is
lower and the processing is also hard. This type of rubber is
rarely used alone. To make something BR is usually mixed with natural rubber or SBR.
3) IR ( Isoprene Rubber)
This type is similar to natural rubber because both of is
polymer isoprene. It can be said that it has a lot of
nature/characteristic that are similar to natural rubber, even
though not all are included. It has its own advantages compare to
natural rubber, which is more pure in material and viscosity is more
stable.
Special Usage of Synthetic Rubber
This type of synthetic rubber is less frequently used compare to the previous
synthetic rubber mentioned. This type is used for special usage because it has unique
characteristics that the previous synthetic rubber does not have. Some if its
characteristics and excellences are;
• Oil resistance,
• Oxidation resistance,
• Heat/high temperature resistance and
• Impermeable to gas.
Figure 1.15 - Butadiene Rubber
Figure 1.16 - Isoprene Rubber
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 20
IIR (Isobutene Isoprene Rubber)
IIR also known as butyl rubber have fewer
bonds that made it resistant to the effect of
oxidation and ozone. IIR is also well-known
because it is impermeable to gas. During
vulcanization process IIR type will be slowly done
where it requires catalyst and sulphur. Bas result
of this will caused IIR to not mix with natural
rubber and other synthetic rubber nicely if it is
processed to create something. Developed IIR are Bromobutyl rubber and Chlorobutyl
rubber, these two precocious at its vulcanization process. These 2 types are easily mixed
with other rubber. IIR that is vulcanized with phenolic resin made the material have heat
resistance and decay resistance.
1) NBR (Nitrile Butadiene Rubber)
This type of rubber is needed my many.
Its best characteristics are resistant to oil and
rubber will not expand. This characteristic is
caused by the rubber that is containing
acrylonitrile. The greater the amount of
acrylonitrile it has, the higher the resistant to
oil, fat and petrol. However, the elasticity will decrease.
NBR’s weakness is that it is hard to be plasticised. A way to overcome this is by
selecting the NBR that has the desired initial viscosity. NBR needs the addition of
reinforcing material and esters tenderizer.
2) CR (Chloroprene Rubber)
Figure 1.17 - Isobutene Isoprene Rubber
Figure 18 - Nitrile Butadiene Rubber
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 21
CR is resistant to oil but not as good as NBR. CR is also resistant to oxidation and
ozone in the air; it is even resistant to heat or burning fire. The making of CR is not
through vulcanization with sulphur but magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, and certain catalyst.
Petroleum softener is added to the CR for good processing.
3) EPR (Ethylene Propylene Rubber)
Ethylene Propylene Rubber usually called “EPDM”
because not only it uses ethylene monomer and propylene in
the process; it also uses 3rd monomer or “EPDM”. During its
vulcanization process, sulphur can be added. Some fillers and
plasticizer added do not have any effect on its endurance. EPR’s
excellence is that it is resistant to sunlight, ozone, and other lights. However it has weak
adhesion.
Apart from the types mentioned previously, there are more types of special
synthetic rubber that are rarely used. These types rubber are such as Acrylate Rubber,
Polysulfide Rubber, Polyurethane Rubber, Fluorine Rubber, Epichlorohydrin Rubber, and
Silicon Rubber.
These types of rubber are used for certain goods and certain usage. The price of
this type is considered expensive. For example Fluorine Rubber can reach 45 x SBR price.
Advantages of Rubber
Advantages of Natural Rubber
Natural Rubber used in a lot of material industries.
Basically goods that are made using natural rubber are very
Figure 1.19 - Chloroprene Rubber
Figure 1.20 - Ethylene Propylene Rubber
Figure 1.21 - Material that can be made from natural rubber
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 22
useful in daily life and in industry business such as transportation or other moving
machine.
Goods that can be made using natural rubber are vehicles tyres, rubber shoes, and
belt for moving machines, rubber pipe, wire, insulator, and stuff to wrap iron. Rubber
materials are mostly used to make equipment like bulkhead or shock absorbers; it can also
be used as machine seat holder. Wrapped rubber is used on door, glass door, car windows
and others to make it put strong, shake resistant and water-prove. It is also used in
making bridge so that the bridge can resist the shake.
Rubber materials are strengthened using strings so that it is strong and elastic
enough and it will not produce noisy sound. This can be used for electric fan’s rope.
Connecting oil pipe, water pipe, air pipe and other types of oil seals, all uses raw rubber.
Even though now there are people who use plastics.
Now a day big buildings are using more and more rubber. They use it for parts of
room, goods inside the room, carpets that are made out of rubber with interesting colours
and design, etc. Large mines that processes iron ore and coal uses long belt for
transportation. This belt is made out of rubber. Factories also use various types of belt for
power transmission belt, product transportation and other needs. Goods like house
furniture, decorations and office chair, glue, water hose, and stationary like eraser, all
uses rubber as material. Some spoils equipment like types of ball as well as game
equipment also uses rubber.
Most parts of warfare equipment and vehicles also use rubber for example fighter
aircraft, tank, armoured personnel carrier (APC), big trucks and jeep. Thus, indirectly
rubber contributes a lot under security and safety of a country. This is why government
plants a lot of natural rubber for strategic stock pile like the developed countries. Natural
rubber can also be used for the prevention of scratches or damages to the skin and nails of
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 23
the barn animals sue to hard cement, so now they use floor-mats that are made out of
rubber. Floor-mats are widely used in large barns now a day.
Advantages of Synthetic Rubber
Synthetic rubber have some superiority that natural rubber don’t have, then in the
process of making goods, mostly uses synthetic rubber as the raw material.
NBR that have high resistance to oil usually used in making rubber pipe for
petroleum and oil, branding, seal, packing and other goods that used for vehicles or gas
industries.
CR that is resistant to fire used in making rubber pipe, wire wrapper, seal packing
and safety belts. Adhesive usually made using specific types.
Impermeable to gas characteristics of IIR used to make types of vehicles, wire
wrapping, also the layer for the tank for fat and oil. EPR type can also be used as making
electrical wire.
Rubber has a big impact on transportation, industry, health, communication,
education, entertainment, and a lot more.
Other Usage of Rubber Tree
Other than tapping latex from the rubber tree, we can also sell its bark. Usually
when the tree is old, it needs to be rejuvenated and replaced with new ones. The tree will
be cut down and the bark can be then sold.
Rubber tree’s production period usually lessen after the age of 25. During this time
rubber trees can be rejuvenated. This is because a lot of rubber trees reach this age, the
amount of rubber bark are not little. Even in 1985/1986 rubber wood business shine once
in Indonesia. The incessant of wood and tropical forest preservation campaign supports
the smoothness of rubber wood business, because if rubber wood is used less forest trees
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 24
are cut down. As a result Mabel industries decreased until rubber wood that used to be
replacement become the main.
Cheap price of rubber wood compare to other woods makes it has higher marketing
demands. However, the supply of rubber wood is not stable as it depends on the area of
old rubber wood or area that has changes to new clans.
Side income from rubber plantation that is not really used and nearly wasted is
rubber seedlings. In many plantations, rubber seedlings are left falling from the trees and
maybe just become children’s toys. Whereas it is used, it will be quite profitable because
of its total number.
Figure 1.22 - Rubber Seeds
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 25
With the widest rubber plantation area in the world which reaches 3 million
hectares and if 1 hectares of plantation able to produce not less than 5,000 seedlings
every year, there are a lot to process. So if that huge amount is not used except for being
thrown free also it will dirty the plantation.
The chemical compositions of rubber seedlings are quite high. From the analysis
found it has 27% protein content, 32.2% fat, 3.6% water, 2.4% ash, 450μg thiamine, 2.5μd
nicotinic, 250μg carotenoids and tocopherol, and 300mg cyanide in every 100g of material.
Apart from high protein content, rubber seedling amino acid that the body needed is
inside. All needed essential amino acid pattern is also very good. To make sure that the
rubber seedling can used, the seedling needs to be processed first so that it is
concentrated. The concentrated is the product of fractional distillation of rubber
seedling’s protein that actually has high content but now even higher. In its making
process, protein fraction made more and higher content with reducing or eliminating fat
or other non-protein substance that is soluble. Useful protein from the rubber seedlings
that is increasing can be used for various necessities, mainly as supplement or
complement for food product. The supplement here is increasing the protein content of a
product. The complement here is for amino acid shortage for comestibles. Types of food
that can be mixed with concentrated rubber seedlings are synthetic meat, snacks, bread,
baby food, etc.
The presence of cyanide made the rubber seedlings dangerous to be eaten raw or
not yet processed. Through submergence process for 24 hours with water that is changed
often and open boiling, cyanide can be removed and evaporate. More types of food can
enriched their protein content by adding concentrated rubber seedlings so more people
can gain benefits from the usual free wasted material in plantation area.
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When rubber plant is still young, age below 3-4 years, plant field can be benefited
for side farming business, which is planted with crops like soya bean, earth nuts, green
beans, ginger, or even upland rice.
Planting soya bean in rubber plantation area is recommended because it gives good
profit. This is how it is done; first remove the weeds that grow around the area using
herbicide. Field needs to be cleaned and processed. Then soya bean can be planted. Steps
for treatment like fertilization, weeding, piling and disease control also needed to be
done. Soya bean plants that grow can support the growth of rubber plant because soya
bean is a legume. In 3 months soya bean can be harvested. However, when rubber plants
reaching the age of 3-4 years when it start being tapped and the stem is big, planting soya
bean should be stopped.
Another usage of rubber plantation is by having a sheep breeding. This has been
tried by Sungei Putih Breeding Research Center, North Sumatera. The causes of having a
sheep breeding is researched under rubber trees. Sheep gazing in rubber plantation allows
them to eat the grass that thrives in many areas. Result of the research for sheep grazing
has beneficial effect. Sheep breeding in the plantation makes the sheep grows rapidly
reproduce faster and more twins and child death rate decrease. Sheep grazing also does
not destroy or affect the plantation negatively.
Figure 23 - Sheep breeding in Rubber Plantation
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The effort of sheep grazing in rubber plantation, to the owner or farmer means
increase animal protein production economically without having to open a new field.
Weeding cost in rubber plantation can be reduced as a means of biological weeding.
Reciprocal relationship, animal manure produced can be used as organic fertilizer and soil
nutrient enhancer that helps with fertilization. If this is done on large plantation means an
additional income for employees. When done by a rubber farmer, it is also an additional
advantage that is not little. Sheep breeding business in a rubber plantation is very
beneficial for the owner of the plantation because no new field required. Additional jobs
such as breeders is not really wasting time, which means productivity can increase and
farmers income can also increase.
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~CHAPTER 2~
PLANTING BABY RUBBER PLANT
Tillage and Planting Process
In rubber planting, 2 terms are known, they are replanting and newplanting.
Replanting is applied when a rubber plant is replanted after the old one is considered not
economical anymore. Newplanting is applied when a plantation is planting a new opening
that previously not planted with rubber.
Tillage and Planting Process, these 2 processes are not much different. The only
differences between these 2 are only the logging of old trees and large trees and tall
grass. Planting preparation is actually the planning before planting. With accurate
preparation cost and job will be reduced.
Tillage starts from the clearing of trees that is growing in your plantation area.
Clearing is done manually in small plantations and mechanically in huge plantations. Huge
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plantations use machine and tractors because it is more economical compare to human
energy. Small trees will be cleared first, and then it will be followed by the big ones.
Thereafter these trees are dried and burnt or become firewood. If replanting is applied,
the logged rubber trees are used as firewood in the smokehouse and it is possible to be
used as other useful materials.
After the trees and tall grass are cleared and burnt, tillage with hoe and tractor is
done until the remaining roots rise. Clear the remaining roots, rhizomes, tall grass, and
big rocks because it can slow down the growth of rubber plants. Tall grass can be removed
using herbicides. Provision on herbicide done for 4-5 times until the tall grass is really
dead. Herbicide will be contributed 2,000 litters per hectare.
To eradicate residual roots disease, fungicides can be used. Woods that cannot be
burnt or used will be sprayed with Sodium Arsenide. Chemicals distribution is done by
putting it on the wood that the bark has already been exfoliated.
After clearing, land is left until the tall grass stops growing. Usually plantation land
is not entirely flat, there are some bumps. Land that has a slope above 10° should become
terraces. Minimal width of the terrace will be 1.5 m. The distance between terraces are
7m for (7x3) m plant spacing. To make sure that the distance is even, spirit level is used.
At the same slope make one terrace. If the terrace is getting wider, should be made small
terraces with width not more than the big terrace.
Making terrace starts from digging ramps. Dug soil covered at the bottom of the
dug ramps until it looked like a terrace. Terrace making is meant for the land to not easily
cause soil erosion.
Rorak is usually made at slopes. It is a blind hole of a certain size. It is also useful
as erosion preventer and for water channel. Noteworthy, this rorak or water channel
doesn’t have sharp slope flow because the presence of sharp slope flow will cause soil
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erosion or landslide. Other types of water channels are draining channels and roadside
water channels. Roadside water channels are made according to the road’s slope. These
channels should be cemented to reduce the chance of soil erosion.
Rubber plantation needs roads for smooth job and control. Replanting plants
plantation, its old road can still be used but it need to be repaired. Road types that are
made in rubber plantation are the main road, production road, blocs’ road, control road,
and latex transportation road.
Road making is made and planned like a contour terrace, but not using spirit
levelling. Road making needs to be planned properly by adjusting latex ease if
transportation of farm to the treatment/processing site. Ascending road cannot be made if
the land is hilly. The road cannot keep ascending for long distances. This is why road need
to be in order, one example is that the road keep ascending 1 m every 50m. So for 1 km
the road ascends 20m. However these kinds of roads are not good because it can cause
fatal accidents. The ascending of road should vary according to the curve of the land. For
making road backfill cannot be used. The slope of the ramp should be in.
Planting
Rubber Planting System
Rubber needs to be planted carefully. To get good product out of the rubber tree,
it needs a suitable system to support its growth. There are 2 types of rubber planting
system which are mono-culture and poly-culture system.
i. Poly-culture System
Planting rubber using poly-culture system needs to be planned beforehand.
Distance between plants need to fit with the size of the one plant when they grow
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(suitable distance) so that it won’t be too tight. Therefore, competition on acquiring
nutrients among plants will happen.
In planting, there are various types of plant spacing such as:
• “Triangle” spacing
• “Square” spacing
• “Fence” spacing
• “Road” spacing
• “Not in order” spacing
“Fence” and “road” spacing are prepared for poly-culture. With toad spacing
you will be able to get plants growing nicely and produce good products. This can
happen because solar radiation occurs perfectly. On road spacing, there they also
planted cover crops like lead tree; scientific name Leucaena leucocephala.
“Fence” spacing is meant for both poly-culture and mono-culture. If the system
used id poly-culture, then the plants will be tightly in rows. The most important
thing is that it needs perfect solar radiation. Next are the examples of poly-culture
system, “fence” and “road” spacing:
Description:
Distance from lines of rubber to the border 5m
Distance from among lines of rubber to the border 2m
Planting distance of rubber in lines 3m
Planting distance of rubber per lines 18m
Figure 2.24 – Poly-culture between Rubber and Clove
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ii. Mono-culture System
In mono-culture system, the planting system uses “triangle”, “square”, and “not in
order” spacing. “Triangle” and “square” system produces tidy plant spacing and can only
be applied on flat surfaces or almost flat surfaces. While “not in order” spacing can be
applied on a slope and terrace. Planting with “not in order” spacing the plantation will
look messy. However, many plantations used “not in order” spacing apart from “triangle”
spacing.
Description:
Distance from border 2m
Distance from lines of rubber 3m
Distance from per lines of rubber 16m
Distance from lines of pepper 3m
Distance from per lines of pepper 2m
Distance from pepper to ditch 1.5m
Distance from rubber to ditch 3m
Ditch Width 0.5m
Number of rubber plant 224 trees/ha
Figure 2.25 - Poly-culture between Rubber, Pepper and Ditch
Figure 2.26 - Mono-culture Triangle
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Way of Planting Seedlings
i. Dismantling Seedlings
Grafting seedlings that will be planted are usually obtained from a nursery or
polybag. To move it, the seeds should be dismantled, especially seedlings from the
nursery.
Taking seeds depends on the seedlings that will be planted. Usually farmers plant
Stum Eye Sleep Seeds that have 2-3 umbrella leaves. There are also other type of
seedlings such as mini Stum and high Stum. High stum seed supply is reserved for
replanting seeds.
Seed dismantling is done by digging a 50cm trench beside the row of seedlings.
Then seedling will be hold at the top of grafting and revoked. Keep in mind that the
number of its taproot must be single and straight. If there’s more than 1, the other
branches of root will be cut. Then, seedlings are ready to be planted.
ii. Transport
Seedling that are ready to be planted often need to cover a considerable distance
even though they are located in a plantation. This usually happen on the seedlings from
the nursery ground.
Treatment for seeds that have to travel a considerable distance is done by
wrapping the seeds. The aim is to avoid damage to buds or stem of grafting. Packing
materials that can be used are banana tree bar prepared layer by layer and arrange the
rubber seedling between them. Arrangement must be tight to prevent a shift during the
transport of seeds. Apart from banana tree bar, burlap or coconut fibre can also be used.
The procedure for burlap and coconut fibre is the same as banana tree bar.
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If seeds come from grafting in plastic bag, transport will be done immediately.
Seed dismantling can be done when it is going to be planted. Seed in plastic bag is the
most practical because percentage of dead seeds because of transport can be minimised.
Planting Execution
i. Planting Rubber
Before planting, holes to plant need to be ready.
Planting hole made with a space of (7x3) m. the process
starts from digging holes suitable and according to that
spacing.
If land prepared have the shape of contour terrace
with distance 7m per hole, boundary pole will be put in a row with 3m distance between
each other. On the other hand, on flat land without terrace, stake with 7m distance
between each other is done accordance to its planting system with spacing 7m to North-
South and 3m to East-West. Remember that land with slope less than 10% used array and
more than 10% used terrace.
Planting hole for grafting mini Slum or seeds in plastic bag is (60x60x60) cm. for
grafting high Stum seeds age 2-3 years are (80x80x80) m. if the length of high Stum
taproot is more than 80 cm, the middle part of the hole will be drilled for 20 cm more.
Apart from cuboid shaped hole, there
are also other shapes of planting holes. Which
are cylinder and cube that is tilted at the
bottom. The tilted shape is caused because of
hoe and other tools that can make a cube
shape.
Figure 2.27 - Planting Hole
Figure 2.28 - Making Planting Hole
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When digging a planting hole, soil layer of topsoil or arable land is separated from
soil layer at its bottom or subsoil.
After planting hole has been prepared, seeds can be planted. During planting,
taproot has to be straight into the soil. Root that is tilted or bent will slow down the
growth. If seedlings came from grafting in plastic bag, needs to have 2-3 new umbrella
leaves. Seedling and its plastic bag will be put into the hole and let id for 2-3 weeks. Then
plastic bag is removed and the hole will be backfill.
ii. Planting Cover Crops
To hold and prevent erosion, cover crops planting is done. Apart from that, cover
crops can speed up the tapping of mature rubber tree and increase its latex yield. Types
of soil cover crops can be divided into 3 types which are creeping plants, shrubs, and
trees.
Creeping plants basically includes grass, leguminosae. Leguminosae are like
Pueraria Javanica, Centrosema Pubescene, Calopogonium Mucunoides. Usually these type
of leguminosae combine with the ratio (4 : 6 : 8 ) kg per hectare in each plant. Almost all
rubber plantation use creeping plants as cover crops.
Plants like shrub that can be used are like Crotalaria Usaramoensis, C.
Anagyroides, C. Juncea, Tephrosia Candida, T. Vogeliii. Also the most common tree used
as cover crops is Leucaena Glauca. Tree as cover crops are very rare used because rubber
does not need shade plants. However, places that has strong wind and often attacked by
boar usually uses tree to prevent this.
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Seeds’ Need
Seeds’ need each hectare is affected by its plant spacing. With plant spacing (7x3)
m, total numbers of rubber trees that can be planted are 476 trees. Beside the seedling
that was planted directly, prepared as well as seeds for replanting, 5% from total number
of the one planted until seedling that need to be prepared has a total of 500 stem.
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 37
~CHAPTER 3~
MAINTAINING PLANTATION
Maintaining Plant before Production
Maintaining plants before its production time includes the action of Replanting,
weeding, fertilisation, selection, maintaining cover crops, and parasite and disease
control.
Replanting
Death of rubber plant after planted can still is tolerated as much as 5%. Seed
preparation for replanting is done together with weeding to make sure the plant growth is
uniformed. Replanting takes place when it reaches 1-2 years old. In the third year
replanting will not be executed anymore.
Replanting should not be done while the sun is still shining. Before replanting is
done, cause is seedlings death must be known first. If death is caused by fungi/mushroom
or bacteria, the former land of the dead seedling should be spread fungicide.
Weeding
Weeding can be done manually and chemically. Manual weeding is usually done
with the help of hoe and parang. Weeding manually is done 2-3 times a year. Chemical
weeding is done by applying herbicide. You cannot choose herbicide randomly. It has to be
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chosen wisely. This is because if the wrong herbicide is used, it will affect the plantation
negatively. Choosing type of herbicide is determined by these factors:
• Types, Characteristics, spread of weed, growing tightness, growth height,
reproducing ability, toleration to weed.
• Solubility to herbicide can be easily obtained and free from acidic or alkaline
characteristics.
• Duration of herbicide killing power after exposure to air.
• Light, soil, microorganism, water and temperature.
• Its dosage and its relation to the price.
• Works by contact, systemic, or absorbed by roots.
• Good killing ability.
If these factors are followed, the eradication will succeed. Probability of weed growing
is lesser. Eradication of weed can be done 2-3 times a year.
Fertilizing Plants
Fertilizing is done to speed up the growth and tapping mature rubber tree. There
are 2 types of fertilization which are manual cycle and chemical strip weeding.
Manual cycle fertilizing is done by making a circular channel around tree with the
distance from tree vary according to its age.
• Age 3-5 months = 20-30 cm
• Age 6-10 months = 20-45 cm
• Age 11-20 months = 40-60 cm
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• Age 21-48 months = 40-90 cm
• Age >48 months = 50-120 cm
Then, fertilizer is scattered at the channel made, then the channel will be covered
again with soil. Chemical strip weeding is done by putting fertilizer outside 1-1.5 distance
from plant rows. Method of chemical strip weeding fertilizer contribution is the same as
manual circle.
Provision of fertilizer should not be done during rainy season because fertilizer will
be washed away by the rain. Provision of fertilizer is done during the season change
between rainy and dry season. Types of fertilizer used are Urea (45% Nitrogen), SP36 (36%
Phosphorus Oxide), Potassium Chloride (50% Potassium Oxide). These types of fertilizer
are easy to find in the market. Fertilization dosage is different to every soil. Plant
fertilization dosage before production for yellow-red podzolic soil and latosol soil can be
seen in the table below:
Table 3.5 - Plant Fertilization Dosage Before Production for yellow red podzolic soil
Age
(Month)
Fertilizer Type (g/tree/application)Urea SP36 KCl
3 21.73 44.40 139 43.47 88.81 2615 65.32 133.22 3621 86.95 177.63 5227 108.69 222.03 6533 130.43 267.83 7839 173.91 355.25 10445 217.39 444.07 15051 250.86 532.89 156
Source: Balai Penelitian Perkebunan Sembawa
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 40
Table 3.6 - Plant Fertilization Dosage Before production for Latosol Soil
Age
(Month)
Fertilizer Type (g/tree/application)Urea SP3 KCl
3 21.73 28.78 159 43.47 57.56 3015 65.32 86.35 4521 86.95 115.13 6027 108.69 143.90 7533 130.43 173.51 9039 173.91 219.24 12045 217.39 225.75 15051 250.86 287.82 180
Selection and Thinning
Selection of healthy and homogenous trees before mature tapping needs to be
done. Trees that remain are the ones that are healthy and not attacked by disease.
Process of thinning is done by dismantling trees that are not healthy and attacked by
disease.
Usually from 476 seedlings planted only 95% remains which are 452. While the one
that are thinned can reach about 5% until the healthy ones are 425 trees. From this
predicted total number of trees that can be tapped are about 400 trees only.
Maintaining Cover Crops
Cover crops also need to be fertilized. Fertilizer that is usually used for cover crops
is green fertilizer Leguminosae type. Other than green fertilizer, other fertilizer can also
be used. Other than being fertilized, cover crops need to be cleaned at its top when the
plant has already show increase in growth. Cleaning is done manually with the help of
parang.
Maintaining Plant after Production
On the 5th year of rubber plant life cycle, rubber is free from composition I, when a
rubber plant is starting to be called producing plant. Producing plant is called composition
Source: Balai Penelitian Perkebunan Sembawa
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II. During this period, rubber plant will be tapped. However, sometimes few rubber plant
age 4 years still can’t be tapped.
According to the theory, rubber plant that can be tapped or the age of 4 years has
not reaches its 100% potential. Usually from the 476 trees there are only about 400 trees
that are mature.
In PTP XVIII, producing plant is
categorized into 2 types, which are
delayed producing plant and real
producing plant. Delayed producing plant
includes abnormal plant, plant that has
late growth and plant that is just attacked
by disease. With the presence of these
problems, FTP XVIII holds improvement to
obtain simultaneously tapping mature
plants.
To get uniformed rubber production, every tree with suitable average latex needs
to be taken care of nicely. The purpose of this is to prevent erosion, strengthen cover
crops and prevent parasite and disease attack that causes loss. Plant treatment includes
weeding, fertilization, and the control of parasite and disease.
Weeding
Weeding is done manually, chemically, biologically and combination of chemically-
biologically. Manual way usually uses parang or hoe. It can only be applied if rubber
plantation is not huge because as plantation gets bigger it uses a lot of man power.
Figure 3.29 - Plantation still needs to be maintained after production to get uniformed product.
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 42
Weeding chemically is used a lot by rubber plantations because it is more practical
and effective. However, the use of herbicide has to be watched so that it won’t destroy
the plant. Usually herbicide that is used is these 2 types, contact herbicide and systemic
herbicide. Contact herbicide has the characteristic of killing weed by direct contact with
the weed such as Gramoxone and Parasol. Systemic herbicide has the characteristic of
killing weed by letting the parts of weed such as stomata to absorb it. Dosage used is
according to the instruction stated on the package, don’t over-dose because it can kill
cover crops too. The use of herbicide is done 4-6 times a year.
For cover crops, weeding is done manually, which is by clearing away with sickle
and parang. These cover crops have to be let alive because it is useful as the nitrogen
absorber. Bushes and shrubs are difficult to eradicate chemically. It can only be
eradicated manually. Instruction is by uproot the roots of the bushes and shrubs then it is
burnt. Tools that can be used are hoe and hook.
Fertilizing
Shortage of nutrient on rubber plant at essentially closely related with the needs of
nutrient for growth and tapping. Signs for shortage of nutrient can be seen from the
appearance of the plant. To save costs, number of tree is very important to determine the
amount of fertilizer used.
Good trees to be tapped are only the one fertilized and fertilizer used determined
by number of trees. On rubber, normal fertilizer used is simple fertilizer, while complex
fertilizer is rarely used. Methods of fertilizing that can be learned are such as:
• Fertilizer is spread around the tree with a distance of 1-1.5 m with channel
made beforehand.
• Fertilizer is spread using hooves system. This method is the same as the one
above but this is semi-circle.
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• Fertilizer is spread at the array between the rubber trees, which are 1.5m from
tree. Before, the land needs to be digging so that fertilizer can be embedded in
the soil.
• Fertilizer is spread between arrays and rows. Soil between rows need to be
really free from weed.
Fertilizing period can’t be determined because each area in the world has different
characteristics and climates. While provision of fertilizer needs to be prepared so that it
will not be kept until the next fertilization. Especially nitrogen have rapid backward
measure because of it, fertilizer can only be used once only. Provision of fertilizer is done
2 times a year with dosage according to soil type, to make it clear look at the table below;
Table 3.7 - Plant fertilizing dosage for producing plant for latosol and red yellow podzolic soil
Soil Type Fertilizer type (g/tree/application)Urea SP36 KCl
Latosol 280.86 219.24 180Red-Yellow Podzolic 280.86 532.89 156
Pest Disturbance
Pests are growth inhibitors, plant killers. Losses caused by pests have a significant
value in terms of economics. Examples of pests that attack rubber plants are insects,
mammal and snails.
i. Pests
a) Insects
i) Termite
Symptoms
Source: Balai Penelitian Perkebunan Sembawa
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The ends of the young rubber plant are broken. The plants have visible hoist scars.
Inside of the tree trunk also have a big hole from the top the tip of the young root. Plants
root is discontinuous sometimes it does not even have a root end.
Cause
These symptoms are caused by termite attack
(Micro termes inspiratus, Captotermes curvignatyhus).
Termite is an insect that is very social and have life in a
colony. Life level of termite is the queen and the male for
the reproduction and huge number of soldiers. The
queen’s whole life can reproduce millions of eggs. Normal
termite built its nest at place below the soil with curvy
caves. Its nest is made from mixed wood pieces and soil. In that nest the queen lay its egg
in large amount.
Termite’s food is plant wood that’s already dead and still growing. Termite usually
cause damage on rubber plant by broaching from tip of young shoot till its root, so that
grafted end can’t grow anymore. Termites also eats the roots until the plants growth
suffered and died. Worst attack happened to rubber plantation that has a single and
branches of roots.
Control
Control and prevention of termite attack is done by technical culture, mechanical
and chemical. By technical culture, termite can be controlled by cleaning the plantation
from the stump to the root remnants. Other than that, tip of young shoot until top of
grafted part can be closed with plastic sheet so that termite can’t grow. By mechanical
culture termite can be controlled by baiting it to get out of the young shoot. Baits that are
Figure 3.30 - Captotermes curvignatyhus
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usually used are cassava and sungkai. The bait is put 20-30 cm from young shoot as much
as 2-3 stem. Termite is more attracted to the bait than the young shoot, so the rubber
tree is free from attack.
With chemical, termite can be killed by insecticides like Furadan 3G, Agrolene 26
WP 0.2%, Lindamul 250 EC 0.2%. Steps of using them is, Furadan 3G as much as 5-10g/tree
is spread around the rubber tree or sprayed with Agrolene solvent and Lindamul.
ii. Snail
Symptoms
Young leaves and plants in the nursery area are damaged and detached. Detached
part of the leaves have a shiny silver channel. Near shady places, a huge amount of egg
can be found.
Cause
The cause of the above symptoms is snail
(Achatina fullica). This animal’s body is jelly-like
and has its house shaped spiral that is hard to cover
and protect its body. During rainy season, snail’s
population increases. Snail’s egg are usually put at
shady places. Snail’s characteristic is
hermaphrodite.
Control
Pest control can be done mechanically and chemically. Mechanically, snail can and
its eggs are gathered and killed then burnt. Chemically, snail can be controlled by
Figure 3.31 - Achatina fulica
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dissolving metaldehyde 5% in bran or can also be given mixture of Meradex and cement,
chalk and barn with ratio 2:3:5:16. This mixture is moisten before used in field. Other
than material above, fertilizer such Temik 10G as around the plants can be spread to kill
snail.
iii. Mammals - Boar
Symptoms
Young leaves of the plant are not shaping. Even the tree without leaf can be seen.
Bark and stem of young plant looks sliver and land around it is uncovered.
Cause
The cause is boar with the scientific name
of Sus Verrucosus. It is a very disadvantageous
pest because it is everywhere in Indonesia. Rubber
plantations that often attacked are the ones near
jungle or bushes, it also attack all kinds of plant.
Boar usually lives in a group in the jungle or
bushes. Its base is made out of bushes that are gathered to become big. Few times in a
year boar reproduce and every time it reproduces around 4-10 baby.
During daytime this animal hides in their home and during night time it looks for
food at fields, yards, and plantations.
Control
Control and prevention of pest should be done together and integrated by driving it
out, make border, captured and poisoned.
i) Driven Out
Figure 3.32 - Sus Verrucosus
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Boar is driven out by ringing or hitting the clappers or drum. This will work because
boars are sensitive to sound which will make them run out of the plantation. Putting tigers
waste on the road that boars usually pass can also drive boars away. Other than tiger’s
waste stuff like perfume, camphor, pig oil mixed with human hair or mixture of sulfur or
red onion with lime can be used. Boar can also be driven out by placing pieces of boar
caught and out it on trees around the road that boars usually pass. Another way is to clear
all the bushes in the plantation.
ii) Border Making
Boar is blocked by putting bamboo fence or wood fence as high as 1.5m around the
plantation. To prevent damages to the fence, the bamboo or wood of these fence are put
together tightly. If bamboo fence is not effective then the fence can be made by cement
and brick with thickness of 15 cm and minimum height of 1.5m. This fence is more
effective and expensive. Boar can be stopped by making drain around the plantation too.
The drain’s depth should be 1.5m with the width of its lower surface 1.5m and its top
surface 2m. this prevents boar from coming because if the boar fall into the drain, it can’t
get out anymore which makes it easy to catch, so boars avoids deep drains. To make sure
that boar don’t come into the plantation, both fence and drain should be made.
iii) Captured
Boar can be captured by hunting it down using fire and sharp weapons such as
spear and arrow. They also can be captured by snaring them using metal wire and put it
on the road that the boars usually pass. The snares are made to trap boars as it made
contact to it. Boars can also be captured using baits such as banana, jackfruit, or smelly
fish. The hook will be tangled with the wire that is attached to the tree. It is made so that
when the bait is eaten the animal that ate it will not survive. Another way is capturing it
using pitfalls. These pitfalls are out at places that boars usually pass with the depth of
1.5m, length 2-2.5m. On top of the hole put covers that looks natural and on top of this
R u b b e r P l a n t a t i o n B u s i n e s s | 48
cover bait is put. Boar can also be captured using a trap box. Similar to the idea of a pit
fall but a box is used to trap it.
iv) Poisoned
Boar can also be poisoned using a traditional poison that can be made using 1kg
mixture of seashell, 1kg juice of fresh tube root and 1kg grated forest yam. Mixture is put
inside the bamboo or I can be fermented first for about 2-3 days in soil. After that the
poison is mixed with the bait and put at place where boars usually pass.
Boar can also be poisoned using chemical such as zinc phosphide, phosphorus paste
and insecticide Temik 10G. Zinc phosphide or phosphorus paste should be out in capsule or
plastic ampoules. Each ampoules includes 4-5g of zinc phosphide or 10g of phosphorus
paste. This poison is then put in the bait. The bait will be cassava, sweet potato,
jackfruit, etc.
Disease Disturbance
Diseases often cause heavy damage to rubber plants. Every year loss that appears
can reach about millions of rupiah for every hectare of the rubber plantation. Most of that
loss is not caused by damage on rubber plant only, but also the cost of disease control that
is very expensive. Cause of disease that can be commonly seen is mushrooms. While
bacteria and fungi is rarely seen and do not cause heavy damage. So solve this loss the
way of controlling will have to have a gainful strategy. Which means prevention is better
than cure.
i. Root Disease – White Root Disease
Symptoms
Plants leaves will turn pale yellow with its tip folded inside. The leaves might
wither and the branches will die. A sick plant will be producing flower, leaves and fruit
early. At root white root mushrooms can be found and quite thick. These mushrooms stick
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strongly to the root that if you pull it the tree will be damaged. The root of the sick plant
will rot, soften and turns brown.
Cause
The cause of this disease is the
mushroom with a scientific name of
Rigidoprus lignosus. These mushrooms
shape its body like a cap for the root,
plant stump and base of stem. The body
of the mushroom is yellowish-orange
coloured and at the surface it has small
holes where the spores are. This disease
is a very dangerous disease for rubber business. This disease has high intensity of death
where a rubber plant age 3 years will die in 6 months and a rubber plant age 6 years die in
1 year. However the plant’s death depends on how much disease it carries below the soil.
White root disease often cause damage at places with sandy and loose soil. Also
the place that used to plant plants with this disease might be that disease’s nest. The
disease’s transmission happens by contact between rubber tree roots with the remnants of
old plant roots or sick plant. Apart from contact, transmission can also happen because of
the wind blow spreading the spores. As the spores made contact to the tree it will grow
and form colonies.
Control
There are few ways of controlling white root disease, these are the following:
1) Remnants of roots or plant stubble in plantation area are the place for mushrooms to
grow, therefore it needs to be get rid of or burnt. If this can’t be done on the entire
plantation then at least 1 meter away from the planting hole needs to be clean.
Figure 3.33 - Rigidoprus Lignosus
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2) Planting good cover crops. Cover crops such as nuts are recommended, nuts like
Pueraria javanica, Centrosema Pubescene, Calopogonium mucunoides, Psophocarpus
palustris or Calopogonium caemleum. These type of plants is used to speed up the
activity of microbe which increase the speed of root remnants or plant stubble to rot.
It will also indirectly press the growth of white root mushroom.
3) Planting healthy seedlings that are free from white root disease. If seedling is
suspected to be carrying this disease, then this seedling will need to be dipped into
copper sulphate pentahydrate solution before planted.
Checking for sick plant
Checking sick plant can be done in a lot of ways, these are some of it:
1) Check for plant canopy throughout the rubber plantation area is done 4 times a year,
started since plant age 6 months. While checking with mulch is deon 2 times a year
during the start and end of rainy season.
2) Plant that has already been treated is checked back after 6 months of medication by
opening the root’s neck. If thread of the mushroom at the root section that is found
out not covered by medicine, then medication should be done again. If after 2nd check
that is done 12 months later still have mushroom thread, then treatment/medication
must be done again.
ii. Stem Disease – Spotted Cancer
Symptoms
Early symptoms are hard to detect because it starts below the bark. If the skin is
scraped, sick bark can be detected as a reddish-brown colour is seen. At the sick part,
latex fluid will come out as a reddish-brown coloured and a bad smell.
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Cause
The cause of this disease is mushroom
Phytophthora plamivora, it has white hyphae
threat which is not visible with bare eyes. It can
cause death to rubber plants, especially to plants
that is at high moisture and wet climate places.
Transmission happens through wind and rain as
the spores spreads.
Control
1) GT 1 should not be planted at places that are disease-prone.
2) Distance between plants should not be too close.
3) Cover crops and weed should be cleaned to lower the moisture.
4) Swollen part is cut until all the swollen part is gone. The cut needs to be put Difolatan
4F 3% with brush, then it is covered with petroleum (shell otina compound) to speed
up the recovery of tree bark. Part of wood that is cut will be covered by tar.
Checking for sick plant
1) Check for plant is done once a week, starting at the starting of rainy season, especially
at the plantations that has high moisture or often attacked by spotted cancer.
2) Treatment needs to be done immediately if at stem or branches produces reddish-
brown coloured latex that has an awful smell.
Figure 3.34 - Phytophthora plamivora
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3) Plant that has already been treated still needs to be checked once a week. If attacked
is expended, skin that is sick is cut and that cut skin is destroyed the cut on the plant
is put Diafolatan 4F 3%.
iii. Tapping Field Disease – Line Cancer
Symptoms
The starting of attack is the sign of thin white membrane and not that clear
covering tapping field. If scratch, black or brown plumb line can be seen. This line will
group together and form a black route. At this part brown coloured latex that smells will
come out. Breakdown of tapping field will slow down the bark recovery.
Cause
The cause of this disease is fungus Phytophthora plamivora that will also cause the
spotted cancer. This disease causes damage in the form of a swell or curves at previous
old tapping field; therefore the next tapping is really hard to do.
Line cancer can be found at moist and wet climate places and places with tapped
fields too close to the ground. Transmission happens through the spread of spores by wind
and rain.
Control
1) PR 107, PR 261, LBC 1320, WR 101 should not be planted in high moisture and wet
climate area as it is prone to this disease. PR 300, PR 303 can be planted at this place.
2) Rubber plants should not be planted to close to each other.
3) Excessive cover crops should be cut and get rid of the weed growing.
4) Fertilization needs to be done to speed up the tapped skin recovery.
5) Tapping can’t be too deep.
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6) Avoid tapping close to ground.
7) Treatment using fungicide; Dipolatan 4F 2%, Difolatan 80 WP 2%, Demosan 0.5% and
Actidione 0.5% will be applied as long as 5-10 cm below tapping.
Checking for sick plant
Check is done every tire of tap during the rainy season, especially to plantation
that has high moisture and often attacked by line cancer. Treatment is done immediately
if disease’s symptoms are seen. Plants this are treated are checked every week. If the
bark is swollen, then treatment is done by putting Difolation 4F 2% at swollen part.
iv. Leaf Disease – Colletotrichum Disease
Symptoms
Young leaves looks supple and black coloured, wrinkled, its tips are dead and rolled
then withers. Brown or black spots can be found on old leaves then it will become holes,
wrinkled and part of its tip withered. Buds, branches and fruits shows symptoms like the
leaves.
Cause
The cause of this disease is fungus Colletotrichum
gloeosporoides, its spore produces a lot of spotted leaves
in moist condition or rain. Fungus hyphae threads are not
clear if seen with bare eyes. This fungus caused the
leaves to wither and its growth delayed. Plantation that
has plant that just have now leaves during rainy season.
Apart from that, plantations at high places with high rainfall often get very badly
attacked. Disease transmission is done by spreading its spore by wind and rain.
Control
Figure 3.35 - Colletotrichum Disease
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1) Plantation at high places and high moisture can’t plant PR 225, PR 300, PR 3o3,
however BPM 1, LCB 1320, PR 261, AVROS 2037, GT 1 can be planted.
2) To speed up the shaping of new leaves, extra fertilizer is put several times intil the
leaves turns green.
3) Grafting is done on the height of 2m from ground surface when the plant is 2-3
years in field.
4) Leaves are withered first with the spray of cocdylic acid.
5) To protect the plant, fungicide Dithane M-45 0.25%, Manzate M-200 0.2%, Cobox
0.5%, or Cupravit 0.5% is put as much as 5 sprays using hose once a week. Cobox
and Cupravit is not recommended to be used on producing plant as it lowers down
the quality of latex.
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~CHAPTER 4~
TAPPING PROCESS
Tapping
The purpose of doing this is to open the latex vessels in the tree bark so that latex
will flow faster. To gain good tapping product, tapping must follow a certain procedure so
that you will gain high production, beneficial and sustainable with still looking at the
plants health factor.
Mature Tapping Determination
Before you start tapping, you have to know whether they are ready to be tapped or
not. Ways to see if they are ready are its age and its trunk girth. Plantation that has
normal growth with be ready at the age of 5 years, and the latex will stay for 25-35 years.
However, this is considered not accurate because there are also other factors that can
affect the growth that can’t be controlled by human.
The product gain depends on the plants characteristic to the environment. Good
environment will affect the plant as it has vast growth. Bad environment on the other
hand will produce slow growth. Age is the factor that determines its maturity, other way is
also to measure its trunk girth.
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Measuring its trunk girth is said to be the most accurate reading for maturity.
Rubber tree that is ready to be tapped is the tree with the height 1m from the grafting
distance or from ground. The trunk girth is 45cm. Rubber plantation start being tapped if
55% of the tree is ready to be tapped or show maturity.
Tapping Tools
i. Patron
Patron is made out of a piece of wood with the length of 130cm that is
completed with zinc plate with the width of ±4cm and length between 50 - 60cm.
Zinc plate and the wood will make a 120° angle. The usage of this tool is to draw
the tapping field that stays tilted.
ii. Tapping Knife
There are 2 types of tapping knife, which is lower
tapping knife and upper tapping knife. These knives have
high level of sharpness. The sharpness of the knife will
effect on the speed of tapping and the neatness of tapping.
Upper tapping knife is used to tap upper tapping field with
the height above 13ocm. Lower tapping knife is used to tap lower tapping field with height
Figure 4.36 - Measuring Trunk Girth
Figure 4.37 - Patron
Figure 4.38 - Tapping Knife
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starting from 130cm. Tapping knife have a long handle to makes tapping from the ground
easier.
iii. Spout
Spout is made out of zinc with the width of 25cm and length around
8 – 10cm. The spout is stab into the tree 5cm from the dot or lower tip of
tapping route. Spout should not be stab too deep as it might disturb the
cambium and other vessels of the rubber tree. It is used for the latex to
flow to the collective cup.
iv. Collection Cup
This tool is used to collect latex. This tool can be
made from plastic, clay or aluminium. Clay ones is cheap,
easy to get and not durable. Plastic ones are durable,
however hard to find and expensive. The aluminium ones
is hard to find, expensive, durable, and it guarantee the
latex quality.
v. Cup Hanger
This tool is the place to put the collection cup. Metal wire is
used to make this. Nail and other sharp material can’t be used to
put this hanger up because it may hurt the cambium. So a special
tool called the hanger thread.
vi. Hanger Thread
This tool is used to anchor the ring so it is a must to be
prepared. Made from metal wire or palm fibre.
Figure 4.39 - Spout
Figure 4.40 - Collection Cup
Figure 4.42 - Hanger Thread
Figure 4.41 - Cup Hanger
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vii. Meter
Used to determine the height of tapping field and
measure the trunk girth of rubber tree. Meters that are used are
made out of wood and the other is the roll type. Wood is for
measuring the height of the tapping field and the roll one is to
measure the trunk girth.
viii. Mal Knife
This tool is used to incise rubber tree bark while drawing the tapping field.
It is made from long iron with a sharp end and its handle is made out of wood or
plastic. The sharp part is used for incising rubber tree bark.
ix. Calliper
This toll is used to measure the thickness of the bark left while tapping.
Purpose is to make sure it did not reach the cambium or the heartwood
vessels. Made out of iron, its tip is like a needle with the length of 1 - 1.5mm.
Drawing Tapping Field
To gain good and plenty tapping result, drawing of tapping field is
essential. Of tapping field is drawn wrongly, the making of tapping field will
be affected. Here we need to determine the height of the starting of tapping, determine
the correct direction of tapping and determine the length of tapping field. The height of
the tapping field depends on the number of latex vessels. The higher the tapping field, the
lesser the latex vessels which means that there will be less latex produced.
For lower tapping on tuber tree from seeds, the height of the first tapping opening
should be 90 – 100 cm from the ground surface to the lower tapping field. The second
Figure 4.43 - Meter
Figure 4.44 - Mal Knife
Figure 4.45 - Calliper
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opening will be at 130 cm. The first one for grafted plant will be 130 cm from the grafting
convergence limit to the lowest field. For upper tapping, either from seeds or grafting,
tapping field is done at height around 260 cm from the ground surface on the opposite side
of the lower tapping. Keep tapping until the lowest upper tapping point with a distance 10
cm from the highest lower tapping point.
Supplementary crop, the height of first tapping opening is 130 cm above the
grafting convergence limit of the same height as the other plants. Spiral starts from the
top left, bottom right with the angle of 30 - 45° to a horizontal line. The direction of
tapping can’t be reversed because it is related strongly to the latex production.
Execution of Tapping
Rubber tree’s bark needs to be cleaned before tapped. In the execution of tapping,
matters that need to be noted is slice thickness, slice depth, execution time and tapping
fielde bark recovery.
i. Tapping Slice Thickness
Latex will flow out if tree bark is sliced. Latex will first flows out very quickly, then
it slows down and eventually stopped. It stops because the latex vessels are blocked by
the dry latex. Latex vessels have to be opened by slicing the rubber tree. Bark slicing
doesn’t need to be thick. The thicker, the faster it finishes and the less time it produces.
Slice thickness that is recommended is 1.5 – 2 mm. bark consumption per month or per
year determined by tapping formula used.
Examples of tapping formula are:
1) S/2, d/2 100% 2) S/1, d/4, 100% 3) S/2, d/3, 67%
The meaning of these symbols are, S/2 means tapping semicircle of tree stem and d/2
means that tree is tapped every 2 days once. 100% is the tapping intensity. Therefore, if
the tree is tapped 2 days once, then rubber tree bark that’s used is 2.5cm/month or
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10cm/quarter or 3ocm/year. Also if the tree is tapped 3 days once, then rubber tree bark
that is used is 2cm/month or 8cm/quarter or 24cm/year.
To be able to control the plantation more easily, tapping field or rubber tree bark
usually given sign of limitation to slice. These signs usually made for consumption per
quarter or per 2 months with sign number 2-3 fruits.
ii. Tapping Slice Depth
If the slice thickness depends on the amount of tree bark that is consumed during
tapping, then the thickness of the slice effect on the number of latex vessels cut files.
Thee deeper the slice, the more latex vessels are cut. Bark’s thickness until 7mm in
cambium layer has the most latex vessels. Therefore, tapping should be done as deep as
possible , however don’t touch its cambium layer. Slice depth that is recommended is 1 –
1.5 mm from the cambium layer. If during tapping, cambium layer is touched, then
recovered tree bark will be damaged and later it will affect the latex production. Severe
tapping or dead tapping, tapping depth needs to be less than 1mm tree bark left.
Tapping too shallow causes less latex vessels that are cut, especially the inside
part that is the part that contains the most latex vessels. With the reduction of latex
vessels that’s sliced than total latex that comes out will decrease.
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To know whether the cambium is too close, usually tapper use calliper. The sharp
end of this tool is stabbed in the remaining tree bark. Of the needle of the calliper went in
thoroughly and still feel soft, and then the cambium is still 1.5mm away. If it is hard then
it is somewhere 1.5mm left. Depth measuring effects the production a lot.
iii. Execution Time
Latex can flow out from the latex vessels because of turgor. Turgor is the pressure
on the cell wall of the plant cell. More or less the cell effect the amount of pressure on
cell wall. If there are more cells, the more pressure on cell wall. High pressure will
increase the amount of latex that flows out from the latex vessels. Therefore, tapping is
recommended to start when turgor is high, that is before the reduction of cell through
evaporation on leaves duting the bright daylight. Tapping should be done in the morning at
5 – 6 am. While latex collection should be done on 8-10 am.
iv. Tapping Field Bark Recovery
Bark recovery on tapping field needs to be noted. Wrong tapping formula
determination and tapping that’s too thick or deep will cause abnormal beak recovery of
the tapping field. This matter will give effect on the production r the plant’s health. If all
Figure 4.46 - Cross-section of a rubber stem
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activity introductions are made nicely and fulfil the requirement, then the tree bark will
recover after 6 years. In practical, skin recovery can be tapped again after 9 years for first
bark recovery and after 8 years to be tapped again is determined by recovered bark
thickness, minimum already reached 7mm.
Frequency and Intensity of Tapping
Tapping frequency is the time interval with the S.I unit in Day(d), week(w),
month(m), year(y). these units depends on the taping system. If tapping is done
continuously everyday then that tapping is marked with d/1, if 2 days once it will bed d/2
and so on.
On periodic tapping, duration of tapping is marked with the number given, while
duration of rotation to top bark back marked with divisor. For example 3 w/9, this means
that it is tapped for 3 week within 9 weeks’ time, or rest for 6 months. For tapping
changes place, tree bark tapped on 2 different tapping field by the way of taking turns
following specific time interval. Sign from this system is multiplication of 2 factors stated
inside the bracket. Both factors are the total of tapping field used and value for the
duration of tapping. Both factors are the total of tapping field used and value for the
duration of tapping. The denominator is the tapping rotation duration. Like: d/2(2x2d/4)
means 2 field tapping by taking turn with tree that is tapped 2 days once.
The result of multiplication the number in bracket always one because it will not
affect the tapping calculation intensity that is stated in 1%. Intensity is determined by the
length of the slice and frequency of tapping. Normal tapping intensity is 100% that is
stated with S/4, d/1, 100% sign which means that it is tapped every day on ¼ tree spiral.
Tapping intensity calculation done with multiplication of fractional digits on tapping
formula with 400%. For example: s/2, d/2, 1005 comes from ½ x ½ x 400% = 100%, then s/
2, d/3, 67% comes from ½ x 1/3 x 400% = 67%.
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Need to be noted that 400% tapping intensity called severe tapping intensity and
dead tapping. Usually 1st tapping intensity will only be 67% and will only reach 100%
intensity after 3 years.
Exploitation System
Rubber exploitation system is the latex collection system that follows specific
instruction with the goal of gaining high production by beneficial economics and
sustainability of plants health. Currently 2 systems are known, which are conventional and
stimulation. Conventional tapping exploitation system that does not involve a stimulus and
Stimulation tapping exploitation system is a system that involves stimuli. There are also
other systems such as stab tapping system.
i. Conventional Exploitation System
This system is mostly used compare to other systems. This system has advantages
such as it doesn’t depend on stimuli and suitable with the plant’s condition even though
the growth is not that good. However, there are also disadvantages such as tapping field
bark will finish faster, probability of damaged tree bark is higher, work needed is higher
and very hard to increase its production. Duration that’s used for conventional
exploitation system is 30 years.
Table 4.8 - Conventational Tapping Exploitation System
No. Exploitation Subsystem Time Duration (Year)
0(I) Plant still not productive yet 51(II) 1/2S, d/3 22(II) 1/2S, d/2 33(II) 1/2S, d/2 44(III) 1/2S, d/2 45(III) 1/2S, d/2 4
6-7(VI) 1/2S, d/2(2 x y/2) 48-9(V) Free tapping 4
Total 30
Source: Balai Penelitian Perkebunan Sembawa
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ii. Stimulation Exploitation System
This system is harder to accomplish than the conventional system. Not all rubber is
compatible with this system. For instance, if the dry rubber content is less that 30% then
the response to the stimuli is not good. Applying stimuli is meant to increase production
that can be done on tree are more than 15. However, if using tapping system with low
intensity (s/2, d/4, 50% or s/2, d/3, 67%) then the usage of stimuli can start on plant age
10. Appliance of stimuli without lowering its intensity will affect the plant’s growth,
especially young plant. Therefore, applying stimuli to young plant is not recommended.
Usual stimuli that can be ised it active Ethephon that has the brand of Ethrel, ELS and
cepha.
Appliance of stimuli on rubber tree has 3 ways:
1) For lower tapping stimuli is applied directly under the tapping slice. While for upper
tapping, stimulus is applied directly above the tapping slice. Before stimuli is applied,
tree bark is scrapped first.
2) Stimulus is applied on the tapping flow.
3) Stimulus is applied on the tapping field which is the tree bark left on top of the
cambium. This way usually done on plant that I matured after 5 years
From the 3 ways mention above the one that is generally used is the first one. Duration of
stimuli appliance on tapping flow is 2 weeks once or one month once. While on tree bark
or tapping field is every month or every 2 months.
Ways and frequency of stimuli appliance can affect the amount of stimuli given. As
example on the appliance of 2 months once, amount of stimuli needed are 1.5 – 2g.
Amount of active material every time stimuli applied can be counted with formula:
(weight of stimuli x % formulation x 1000 mg) like ; in 2g ethrel with formulation 5% have
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(2 x 5/100 x 1000) = 1000 mg active material. Stimulus needed on the flow system is 0.5 –
1 g every time applied.
By noting the stimuli appliance frequency and tapping formula, so the width of the
road or fuel that can be applied can be determined. If appliance every month once with
tapping formula s/2, d/2, then the width of appliance field is 15 x 1-1.5mm = 15 – 22.5
mm. while appliance 2 months once with the same tapping formula, then the width of
appliance field is 30 x 1-1.5mm = 30-45 mm.
The one that needs to be noted is every limit of the bark that needs to be applied
is marked. Even though applying stimuli seems easy, but there are possibilities of failure.
Therefore, matters that are listed below needs to be noted:
a) Should not use intensity more than 100%.
b) When the leaves are withering, just grow, or in the middle of rainy season, stimulus
should not be used.
c) Stimuli should not be used on abnormal plants.
d) Fertilizing is done completely with potassium dosage more than usual (without
stimulus) during the time 4-6 months before stimulation.
e) Stimulus is only recommended to be put on plants age above 15 or on recovering tree
bark.
f) Don’t keep using stimulus during production time as it lower the quality of the latex.
Stimulation is done as long as 6 years during rubber production still maximal.
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Table 4.9 - Stimulation Tapping Exploitation System
No. Exploitation Subsystem Time Duration (Year)
0(I) Plant still not productive yet 51(II) 1/2S, d/3 22(II) 1/2S, d/2 33(II) 1/2S, d/2 44(III) 1/2S, d/2 45(III) 1/2S, d/3 + st(G), W/2, 10m/12 4
6-7(VI) 1/2S, d/3(a x y/2) + st(B), m/1,
10m/12
4
8-9(V) Free tapping 4Total 30
iii. Stab Exploitation System
Stab tapping is done by stabbing the tree bark with needle. This method is created
because there are parts of the tree bark that is wasted if done by conventional or
stimulation method. The advantages of this system are that:
a) Latex production is high, higher than other system.
b) Sugar level still high.
c) Sugar movement in tree bark is not blocked. This is important for long-lasting
production.
d) Plant growth can be repaired because there are interaction between growth abd sugar
composition in latex.
e) It is easier to do, there’s not need to hire specialist.
f) Tapping flow’s dryness can be avoided.
Stab tapping is done on rubber plant that is still age 3 years. This matter is to
shorten the not producing time. Other function maybe extended the economic age of
rubber plant. This is caused because stab exploitation system does not trouble the matter
Source: Balai Penelitian Perkebunan Sembawa
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of wearing tree bark. Together with this, treatment for tapping field for disease can be
avoided.
Stab tapping execution technique is done by stabbing needle on one straight flow
on tree bark that has applied Ethrel. As needle, diameter of steel wire is 0.8mm or can
also needle with the same diameter. Its length needs to be the same as the thickness of
tree bark less 1mm to prevent wire to touch the cambium.
Before stabbed with wire, tree bark is scrapped thinly making a route before
coloured using Ethrel. Width of road 2cm and length 100cm. Ethrel that is using active
materials 2.5%. ways to make Ethrel solution is one part of Ethrel 10% mixed with 3 part
heavy palm oil. Every road is coloured with Ethrel as much as 2g.
Stab with wire is done on the middle part of the route. Between punctures with
one another is connected and becomes 1 straight line to channel the latex. Distance
between punctures is 10 cm. stabbing is done every 3 days once. Next stabbing have a 1
cm distance above the previous one.
Every time interval of a month or 10 days tapping, the whole route will be fully
stabbed. After that, new route is made on the right side of the old route around 1 cm. The
pathway between will be useful when the time comes.
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Bibliography
Interview
Fery. "How to start a rubber plantation." Personal interview. 30 July 2012.
Book
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