Rubber Tree Cultivation In India

It begins to yield latex in 5 7 years after planting.

Rubber tree cultivation in india.

Rubber tree hevea brasiliensis is a quick growing tall tree acquiring 20 30 metre height. The trees demand well drained and well weathered soils. In south india the annual yield of rubber is 375 kg ha from seedlings trees whereas budded plants yield 800 1000 kg ha. Tapping operation of trees begin when the rubber tree attains a girth of 50 cm at height about 125 to 130 cm.

The rainfall in the area for rubber plantation should be around 2000 mm annually. It is believed that rubber trees originated from south america and especially brazil where rubber was used to play games. Rubber is made from the latex of a tree called hevea brasiliensis. In the 1st year of tapping about 65 to 70 of trees become matured for operation.

Rubber latex is extracted from rubber trees. Cultivation of rubber trees. The soil requirement is well drained weathered soil consisting of laterite lateritic types sedimentary types nonlateritic red or. There is no specific dry or wet season requirement for growing these trees.

However rubber cultivation on a commercial scale was introduced in 1902. While your rubber tree is in its growing season. Rubber trees have an economic life period of around 32 years in plantations. These clones are broadly classified into three categories viz primary secondary and tertiary based on the method adopted for the development of their mother trees.

The first rubber plantations in india were set up in 1895 on the hill slopes of kerala. Brazil is among the pioneers of rubber production which started mid 19th century. In the rubber cultivation latex production increases every year up to 11th year. Rubber research institute of malaya rubber research institute of india kottayam and other institutes have developed clonal varieties.

The british established the first rubber plantation in india in 1902 on the banks of the river periyar in kerala. Many people put their rubber trees near a window where the light is filtered through a pair of sheer curtains. Upto 1910 the demand for natural rubber in the world was limited. Vulcanization was discovered in 1839 and this led to a more widespread use of rubber.

Rubber trees do not require much light but flourish in bright indirect light. If the plant gets less light while leaves are growing the leaves will actually be larger. The tree gave the strange substance latex was later called the rubber tree. Rubber trees require bright sunlight for about 20000 hours 6 hours a day.

The soil for rubber cultivation has to be deep and well drained. It is worth noting that in the 19th century brazil was the leading rubber producer in the world and it dominated the world market.