ISBN: - 978-93-88936-09-5 It is essential that planting of rubber plants should be carried out during favourable weather. The planting density recommended is 420 to 455 plants per hectare. Fitting is necessary to provide favourable conditions for the growth of the young plants. After planting, these plants should be inspected at regular intervals. Vigorous shoot should be allowed to grow. Further planting may be carried out appropriately to remove side shoots developing up to about 24m from the ground level. 3. 4.3Manuring of rubber trees The Rubber plants have been found to respond well to systematic manuring which provides adequate nourishment to the plant. The extent of response for manuring depend upon several factors, the most important ones are the nature and fertility of the land. 3.4.4Intercropping: The main objectives of growing intercrops in the immature phase of rubber plantations are ancillary income generation. Intercropping is recommended in the first three years of planting as rubber canopy takes two or three years to shade the inter row areas. It is popular among the smallholders and is normally determined by the asset levels, nature of labour, alternative sources of income, relative agronomic suitability and profitability of the intercrops. Popular intercrops in India are 'nendran' banana, non-'nendran' banana, pineapple, ginger, turmeric and tapioca. The benefit-cost ratio of intercropping with banana in the first three years of rubber planting ranged from 1.51 to 1.60 lakhs, with ginger from 0.84 to 3.02 lakhs and turmeric from 1.52 to 2.47 lakhs. 3. 4.5Dry Natural Process (DNP) This natural process involves compressing the rubber at a high temperature and pressure. The plant proteins responsible for the allergy are denatured at these temperature and pressure and therefore pose a lower risk than rubber made by the NRL process. 3.4.6 Natural Rubber Latex Process (NRL) This process involves use of natural rubber latex in a concentrated colloidal suspension. This type latex contains a much greater proportion of plant proteins than latex produced by the dry natural process. Most immediate type reaction result from exposure to Natural Rubber Later Process. 3.4.7 Collection of Rubber (LATEX) The half shell of coconut is used as the collection container for the latex in south India where coconut is in plenty. But glazed pottery is aluminium or plastic cups are more common elsewhere, the cups or coconut shells are supported by a wire that encircles the tree. This wire 62
69 Publizr Home