AGR3501

PLANTATION CROPS
NATURAL
DR. MOHD HADI AKBAR BASRI
ROOM NO. 6, 2ND
FLOOR
DEPARTMENT OF CROP SCIENCE
hadiakbar@upm.edu.my
RUBBER

INTRODUCTION
• Hevea brasiliensis

• From South America, Rio Negro is the centre of

Hevea genetic diversity

• Has laticifers – in all organs except wood

• Commercially exploited – main trunk

NATURAL RUBBER INDUSTRY IN

MALAYSIA
 Started when 22 rubber seedlings
(Hevea brasiliensis) brought to
Singapore and Kuala Kangsar in 1877
 Commercial planting on 1902/1903 –
first rubber estate in Malacca
 Peak up to 2.06 mil ha (1979)
 Natural rubber hectarage and production in
Malaysia Area Reduction Factors
Year Estate (‘000 Smallholder Total (ton)
ha) (‘000 ha)
• Rubber replaced by other crops e.g. oil
2000 123.78 1,306.9 927,608 palm, orchard and coconut
2005 57.37 1213.93 1,126,023
• Rubber area changed to housing,
2010 64.20 956.18 939,241
2011 64.20 962.84 996,210 industrial area and highways
2012 65.94 975.25 922,798
2013 77.41 979.86 826,421
2014 80.09 985.50 668,613
2015 76.75 997.78 722,122
2016 77.41 995.51 673,513

Source: www.lgm.gov.my/

Government related agency

Factors responsible for declining Research, marketing & promotion
production 

Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) - RRIM, MRRDB and MRELB merged
Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council (MREPC)
 International Rubber Research and Development Board (IRRDB)
• Planting area hectarage reduced  Development & Planting
 RISDA - Pihak Berkuasa Kemajuan Pekebun Kecil Industri Getah
• Unsatisfactory acceptance of technology of (Rubber Smallholders Development Authority)
tapping system for smallholders  FELDA- Lembaga kemajuan Tanah Persekutuan (Federal Land
Development Authority)
• Vast untapped area due to skilled labor  FELCRA- Lembaga Penyatuan & Pemulihan Tanah Persekutuan
(Federal Land Consolidation & Rehabilitation Authority)
shortage
• Land competition with oil palm.
• Unpredictable market price

Root
Function
• Sturdiness & carry nutrient and water upwards
Type:
RUBBER • Tap root – penetrate down into the soil
MORPHOLOGY • Main lateral root – side root for anchorage
• Sub-lateral root – has root hairs for nutrient and
water asorption
 Soil surface

Root hairs
Main lateral root

Sub-lateral root

Tap root

Trunk
• Contain pith – middle/core of the stem
• Xylem – woody plant tissue that conducts water and
nutrients
• Cambium – thin mucilage layer between wood and
bark
• Bark – made up of cork, hard bark and thin bark

Leaves Bark
• Trifoliate but different shape depending on clone
• Three layers:
• Corky bark – outer layer, no
latex
• Hard bark – soft tissue and
stone cells, unorganized and
disjointed latex vessel
• Soft bark – has phloem and
abundant latex vessel
 Latex
• Whitish milkish fluid containing hydrocarbon with
proteins, amino acid, carbohydrates and various
electrolytes

• Molecule structure

CH3
I
CH2 = C – CH = CH2

Bud
• Three types:
• Lateral bud – bud at leaf axil and where the branch
will grow
• Dormant bud – submerged bud
• Scale bud – leaf scars left by falling petioles
Inflorescens
Seeds
• Generally produced once a year
• The characteristics varies among different clones
• Ordinary or clonal seeds

Ideal rubber tree

• Good growth for early tapping and yield

• Good stem girth increase for supporting the growing
of heavy canopy
• Broad, shiny and dark green colored leaf for efficient
photosynthesis
• Straight, smooth and stand upright trunk
• Small and horizontal branch
• Medium height tree so not easily damage by wind

Ideal rubber tree (cont.)

• Straight, upright, smooth and round trunk for easy

tapping
• Smooth and thick virgin bark for easy tapping
• Smooth and quick renewal bark for faster
consecutive tapping
• High yielding even during wintering
• Good response towards yield stimulant
• Latex flow immediately after tapping with fast flow
rate
• Tapping can be done frequently if necessary
 Ideal rubber tree (cont.)

• Stable latex composition with high dry rubber

content (DRC)
• Resistant to disease, wind damage and dry
tapping panel (TPD)
• Tree suitable for planting in various
environments

Clone & its usage Modern clone type

• Clone are rubber trees produced through • Class I : Proven clones that are fully tested and
recommended for large scale planting
selection and breeding containing desirable
characteristic
• LC : RRIM 901 , RRIM 937, RRIM 938, PB 280, PB 366
• Originally, rubber clone divided into two; dan PM 10
original and modern clone
• Only few original clone – now mostly latex & • LTC : RRIM 906, RRIM 911, RRIM 921, RRIM 936, PB
timber clones (LTC) 260, PB 350, PB 350, PB 355 dan PB 359

Clone type (cont) Clone type (cont)

• Class II : Not fully tested with medium planting • Class IIIA : Clone planted on experimental basis up to
rate and recommended for only 50% of total 10 ha per clone
planting area • E.g. RRIM 803, RRIM 804, RRIM 806, RRIM 809, RRIM
904, RRIM 908, PB 242, PB 259, PB 314
• LTC : RRIM 928, RRIM 929, RRIM 2001, RRIM • Class IIIB : Clone planted in trial plots on observation
2002, RRIM 2008, RRIM 2009, RRIM 2014, RRIM & planting up to one task.
2015, RRIM 2016, RRIM 2020, RRIM 2023, RRIM
2024, RRIm 2025, RRIM 2026 dan RRIM 2027 • E.g. RRIM 801, RRIM 802, RRIM 943, PB 346, PB 347.

• LC : RRIM 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010,

2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 2022
 Clone usage
Clone characteristic
• For individual smallholders, only clones from class I
• Apart from knowing clone name, the study of its
& few from class II is recommended
characteristic is more important. This is to guide
farmers for suitable clone selection according to
their location • For class II – planting not more than 10% of total
area

• Characteristic needed to know: • Class IIIA & IIIB – for experimental or trial plot only

 Growth, branching habits, bark thickness, resistance

to diseases and wind damage

Clone usage Rubber Propagation

• Smallholders with 1 ha area – only one • Through pollination – not uniform seedling
clone used

• Smallholders with 1 - 2 ha area – not more  Natural pollination

than 50% of the area planted with a single  Manual pollination (for breeding program)
clone

• For community cluster farming (tanaman

berkelompok) – not more than 25% planted
with a single clone, exception when limited
clone availability due to poor environment
suitability

Rubber Propagation (cont)

• Through vegetative (tampang) propagation

 Green budding (Cantuman tunas hijau)

Rubber Nursery
 Young budding (Cantuman tunas muda) Management
 Budded stump-mini (Crown budding)
 Budded stump-maxi (Cantuman tunggul maxi)
 Rubber Nursery Objectives Nursery Management Activities
 To produce good and high quality seedlings  Collect and store seedling for stock plant
 To produce advanced planting materials (APM)  Site and polybag preparation
 To ensure transplanted seedling has high initial
growth success
 Grafting works
 To reduce estate development costs  Weed management
 To gain fast yielding tree in the field  Fertilizer application
 Pest and disease control

Grafting Stock plant selection

 Purpose: To produce high quality planting
materials with desirable characteristics from
the parent plant e.g. high yield

 Process: By selecting a bud with known good

quality and grafting to a stock plant using the
predetermined technique

Mata Tunas Stock plant

(bud patch from scion) seeds
germinate
Piece of bud taken from selected clone for between 7-21
vegetative propagation days

Pokok Penanti
(stock plant / root stock)
Stock plant which will be grafted with the During germination
bud from selected clone phase is suitable time to
sow the germinated
seeds in polybag nursery
or ground nursery
 Plastic placed
below polybag
to prevent root
penetrating soil
surface

Double polybag
row with 1 m
Media and interrow
fertilier spacing
mixing

Polybag planted
with 2 seeds and
later 1 seedlings
will be culled

Stock Plant Healthy 3 – 5 months stock plants

maintenance are ready to be budded

Bud source (Bud wood) ready for

cutting 8 – 9 months after planting
Cutting
is done
twice a
year
  Shoot
develop
from
rootstock
are removed
 Top part was
cut
producing
budded
stump

Two crowns plants ready for

transplanting
 Questions ????

• APM is planted together with budded clone – for

uniform growth in the field
• supplying done in first or second year – less shade