The way these mighty rubber-producing trees flourished in the hilly areas of God’s own country was discussed in From World Cup to Erasers – How the Rubber from Kerala Conquered the World Market. Hevea brasiliensis – native of Brazil’s Amazon rainforests, the way these mighty rubber-producing trees flourished in the hilly areas of God’s own country was discussed in From World Cup to Erasers – How the Rubber from Kerala Conquered the World But how could a Brazilian native find Kerala adaptable?
Because Kerala is close to the equator, it fits the requirements for rubber trees, which include a temperature range of 25°C to 35°C, a high humidity rate of 75%, 5 to 6 hours of suitable sunlight, and 200 to 300 cm of rainfall. It’s little surprise that the ‘gold producing trees,’ as they’re known, felt at ease in God’s own territory.
Rubber trees come in a variety of shapes and sizes. To mention a few, RRII 5, RRII 105, RRII 414, RRII 430, RRIM 600, RRIM 703, PB 217, PB 235, and so on. RRII 105 is commonly utilized in Kerala because of its great yielding capabilities. Rubber trees thrive in soil with a pH of between 5 and 6. The importance of good aeration and soil water content cannot be overstated.
Digging pits with dimensions of 50 cm x 50 cm x 75 cm are used to prepare planting beds for the saplings. The nutrient-rich bed is next filled with 10 to 12 kg of compost mixed with topsoil in the pits. After that, the seedlings are planted in these beds. The saplings are typically planted during Kerala’s monsoon season, which runs from June to July. Agri inputs are delivered starting in the third month, depending on the soil’s mineral and nutrient composition. Rubber trees require nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium as well as other nutrients. Because of the large intake of these elements from the soil, it is critical to conduct regular checks for these elements in order for rubber trees to thrive.
How many rubber trees are there in 1 acre in Kerala?
Palakkad: After losing money in rubber cultivation, a group of farmers from Thirumittakode have resorted to pineapple farming. When you factor in the costs of upkeep and other expenses associated with rubber farming after you’ve planted the saplings, you’re left with a net loss. However, the market price of rubber remains low.
Due to the loss of rubber plantations, many farmers have begun experimenting with new crops. Harinarayanan, a Thirumittakode local, pulled down all of the rubber plants on his 3-acre plantation and planted pineapple instead.
On a single acre of land, only 200 rubber trees can be planted. Only ten rubber sheets may be produced every day from 200 trees. Only on alternate days may latex be gathered from the tree. Farmers have the ability to harvest up to 150 kilograms of rubber every month.
Rubber might bring in around Rs 22,500 per month. On alternate days, the farmer can earn Rs 1500. Latex collection and other processing cost Rs 400. After deducting expenses, the profit from one acre is only Rs 950.
Rubber trees can be harvested for latex for up to 5 months. Following that, latex collection gradually diminishes, causing farmers difficulty. This has an impact on earnings, and farmers begin to cultivate alternative crops on the property.
The majority of the region’s rubber plantations have now been converted to pineapple crops. Farmers find it more profitable because they can grow 9000 pineapple saplings on a single acre of land. They claim that one fruit sells for Rs 20 and that the annual profit is roughly Rs 1,80,000.
Where is rubber grown in Kerala?
The country’s rubber plantation sector has been in a serious crisis since 2012, due to a sharp drop in the price of natural rubber, increased production costs, and diminishing returns from aging rubber holdings (Ali and Manoj 2020). Due to the low price of rubber, both large estates and small holdings were severely harmed. The major estates were severely hampered by high overheads and social expenses, even as the crisis wreaked havoc on smallholders, particularly those who relied heavily on rubber farming for a living. Growers who earned a significant portion of their family’s income from sources other than rubber were more likely to refrain from tapping their rubber holdings when prices were low and their proportion of area was as high as 25%30%. (Jacob and Chandy 2020; Joseph and Jacob 2018).
While most large estates are legally prohibited from converting their estates to any other crop or activity (the Kerala Land Reforms Bill, 2013), it was feared that small and medium rubber growers in the traditional region, particularly Kerala, were losing interest in the crop, and that large-scale conversion of rubber holdings into other crops or land uses was already taking place or about to take place in Kerala (Ali and Manoj 2020). Kerala has seen a surge in the cultivation of products like vanilla, cocoa, and others when their prices were high, followed by a reversal of fortunes when their values fell (Johnson2018).
Because Kerala contributes the biggest part of rubber holdings (67%) and output (75%) in the country, it is critical to determine whether such a trend is now occurring in the natural rubber plantation sector in Kerala, India’s largest traditional rubber-growing region (Rubber Board 2019). Rubber is a significant component to Kerala’s agricultural gross domestic product (GDP) (Lekshmi and George 2003). The Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu is also a traditional rubber-growing area, but it is a minor contributor, accounting for only 2.4 percent of total land and 3% of total production. Despite the challenges of increasing production from traditional regions due to rising costs, declining productivity, a lack of new areas for rubber cultivation expansion, and the negative effects of climate change, these regions will continue to be the country’s primary source of natural rubber for the foreseeable future (Satheesh and Jacob 2011). Given the long immature period and the time it takes for output to peak and stabilize after tapping begins (Joseph and Jacob 2018), a new planting done now will take more than a decade to produce. As a result, any new program for large-scale growth of rubber cultivation in the north-eastern states that began this year may take two decades to produce a significant rise in rubber production (Debbarma and Purkayastha 2019). As a result, the importance of continuing rubber agriculture in Kerala cannot be emphasized, both nationally and locally (Government of Kerala 2016).
The substantial drop in rubber prices since 2012 is thought to have altered growers’ attitudes toward rubber cultivation and, as a result, their planting decisions. We examined the spatio-temporal variations in the extent of rubber cultivation in the traditional rubber-growing regions of Kerala and the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu in the past 15 years, when the price of rubber experienced considerable volatility, using satellite-based remote sensing techniques. When rubber prices fell, the total area of rubber-cultivated land in Kerala continued to grow, while a few districts exhibited a downward trend.
Methodology
During the 14-year period between 200506 and 201920, researchers tracked changes in the area under rubber cultivation in Kerala’s traditional rubber-growing regions and Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district. Because the first half of this era saw a record spike in the price of rubber, and the second half saw it tumble down significantly, this period was chosen for the current study (Rubber Board 2011, 2012, 2019).
Rubber plantations in the research area were mapped using satellite data from IRS LISS III and Sentinel 2A/2B MSI (Table 1). The National Data Centre of ISRO provided L-3 satellite data for 200506 and 201213. USGS Earth Explorer was used to download Sentinel MSI data. The processing and analysis of satellite data was done in accordance with the established methods for mapping rubber plantations (RRII and ATMA 2014; RRSC and RRII 2012). Using computerized classification algorithms and thorough ground truth in the study area, the spatial extent of rubber cultivated land (age three years and above) was calculated district-by-district during 200506, 201213, and 201920. To verify the rubber area map, GPS readings of rubber holdings were obtained at 10,000 points throughout the study region. From 200506 to 201213 and 201213 to 201920, spatio-temporal variations in the size of rubber cultivated area were computed using rubber distribution maps derived from satellite data and compared to changes in rubber prices during the same time periods.
Results and Discussion
Rubber prices rose steadily over the first half of the study (from 200506 to 201213), reaching the highest level in India’s history of rubber cultivation (Rubber Board 2011; 2012). During this time, the average price of RSS 4 was Rs 123/kg, with an annual rate of rise of Rs 19.8/kg/yr (see Table 2). During the same time period, the total area under rubber cultivation in the traditional region expanded by 38,691 ha. The growth in area was only modest in Kanyakumari district (1,166 ha), but the majority of the area expansion occurred in Kerala (37,525 ha), and this occurred in all of the state’s rubber-growing districts (see Table 2). During this time, the districts of Ernakulam, Kasaragod, Kannur, Kottayam, and Palakkad saw the most growth in terms of real area.
Table 2: Changes in Kerala’s Rubber Cultivated Area and Rubber Price over the Last 15 Years
Rubber prices fell sharply for four years in a row during the second half of the study (from 201213 to 201920), before recovering and stabilizing in the next three years (Rubber Board 2016, 2019), with the mean price for RSS 4 hanging around Rs 140/kg (refer to Table 2). The overall area under rubber cultivation in the traditional region increased by 47,825 ha during this seven-year period (see Table 3), which is 23.6 percent more than the rise seen in the preceding seven-year period. There was no area expansion in Kanyakumari district, indicating that the land has been saturated (refer to Table 3). The full area increase took place in Kerala, but not in all rubber-growing districts, as it did in the first phase of the study. The two southernmost districts of Trivandrum and Kollam, as well as the three northern districts of Malappuram, Palakkad, and Kasaragod, as well as Thrissur, saw the largest area expansion (Table 3 and Figure 1). There was a significant decrease in land in the central Kerala districts of Kottayam and Idukki, and only a small rise in area in Pathanamthitta, a key rubber-growing district in the region (see Table 3).
Figure 1 shows the spatial and temporal increase of rubber plantations (aged three years and up) in Kerala’s Palakkad district over the last 14 years (2005-2012-2019)
Table 3 shows the spatial and temporal changes in natural rubber cultivated area in several rubber-growing districts in Kerala and Tamil Nadu during the last 14 years.
Only rubber holdings older than three years could be identified with certainty using satellite data (RRSC and RRII 2012). As a result, area estimates made in 2005-06 will not reflect felling/planting done in the previous three years, but will be reflected in area estimates made in 2012-13. (as these areas will be more than three years old). A similar explanation applies to the 2019-20 area estimates. However, it should be noted that during the first half of the research period, when rubber prices were skyrocketing, it was highly improbable that much land was felled for replanting, which would be accounted for in the 2019-20 predictions. As can be seen from the satellite-derived rubber distribution maps for districts like Palakkad, there was more new planting going place (Figure 1). A decrease in rubber acreage observed in the Kottayam and Idukki districts during the price reduction period might theoretically be attributed to large-scale felling for replanting in the three years leading up to 2019-20 or conversion of rubber fields to other activities.
While it is easy to attribute a cause-and-effect relationship between the sharp rise in rubber price and the increase in rubber area observed during the first seven years of the current study, the same explanation does not hold true for the second half of the study period, when much more area expanded despite a crash in the price of rubber, even though the mean price of rubber remained higher in the second half than in the first. When rubber prices increased and decreased, it was not just the overall area under rubber cultivation that grew. The percentage of rubber plantations in both the total geographic area and the gross cultivated area of Kerala consistently increased during the first and second half of the study period (refer to Table 4), demonstrating that the rubber plantation sector in Kerala is still robust when compared to other crops.
The current findings clearly refute two prevalent arguments: I rubber plantations in the state were being converted to other crops/activities when the price of rubber fell, and (ii) there was no further land available for rubber cultivation in the state. It’s comprehensible that the rate of extension of rubber cultivation in the previous 14 years has been slower than the rate of expansion seen in the 1980s, when there was much more acreage available for its production (Rubber Board 1997). Nonetheless, as the current study shows, there was still land available in certain sections of the state where rubber plantation has developed in the last 14 years.
Despite the fact that rubber prices fell precipitously in the second half of the research, the average price remained significantly higher than in the first half. This demonstrates that, despite the lower trend in rubber prices seen in the first four years following 2012, the current price was still acceptable to growers in the state’s southern and northern areas, where rubber farming was expanding. This also shows that there was some land available in these districts for area expansion. It’s crucial to investigate whether the current pricing was acceptable to these growers solely because they had no other option but to continue relying on rubber growing for a living.
While our findings provide compelling evidence that growers in traditional rubber-growing regions continue to believe in rubber farming despite the recent price fall, there appear to be significant regional differences. The reasons for the drop in rubber area shown in recent years in the districts of Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam, as well as the small rise seen in Pathanamthitta, which are traditionally key rubber-growing districts in Kerala, may be intriguing to investigate. These are also the areas where rubber growers are generally considered to be more prosperous. It’s worth noting that during the first half of the study period, when rubber prices were rising, all of these districts had a significant growth in area. It will be interesting to see if growers in districts where rubber planting is dropping are also the places where a greater number of growers are refusing to tap their rubber holdings owing to price declines. This will help to understand how rubber growers’ economic wealth affects their attitude toward rubber growing and their tapping decision in relation to the market price of rubber. To put it another way, whether the more affluent rubber growers were more price aware than the less affluent growers.
Our findings, based on satellite-derived spatio-temporal changes in the rubber landscape of Kerala’s rubber-growing districts, show that rubber growers from central Kerala’s relatively more affluent districts are more opportunistic than growers from the state’s southern and northernmost districts in response to recent rubber price volatility. This fascinating discovery sheds new light on growers’ attitudes toward rubber cultivation and planting decisions in various Kerala areas when rubber prices fluctuate. We hypothesize that growers in districts where rubber lands have expanded are more likely to rely on the crop for a living than those in districts where rubber cultivation has declined as prices have fallen. Efforts to boost rubber output should be concentrated more successfully in areas where growers are more reliant on the commodity and so more enthusiastic about farming it.
Finally, we were able to use cutting-edge satellite-based remote sensing techniques to measure growers’ attitudes toward rubber cultivation in reaction to market price swings. Despite the sharp drop in rubber prices, we discovered that growers continued to be interested in producing the crop, however the reaction was not uniform across all areas. The socio-economic causes for the disparities in attitudes toward rubber production among rubber growers in different districts of Kerala as the rubber market fluctuated deserve more investigation.
How is rubber tree planted?
You can start propagating indoor rubber tree plants once you’ve learned how to care for a rubber tree plant and it’s doing well.
Making new rubber tree plant cuttings can be done in a few different ways. The most basic method is to take a short branch from a healthy tree and root it in good potting soil or water.
Another approach, known as air layering, entails cutting a hole in a healthy rubber tree houseplant, inserting a toothpick, and then packing damp moss around the wound. Wrap it in plastic wrap after that to keep the moisture level up. Cut the branch off when roots develop and plant it.
Is rubber tree profitable?
9.52 kgs is the average yield per rubber tree. The plantation’s total production is roughly 4284 kgs (from 450 plants). The plantation generates Rs 2, 57,040.00 in revenue. (Rs 2, 57,040.00 Rs 1, 06,754.00) = Rs 1, 50,286.00 is the profit gained in the seventh year of planting.
Which district in Kerala produce more rubber?
Around 40% of the land and 45 percent of the production of rubber in Kerala originates from three districts: Kottayam, Ernakulam, and Pathanamthitta, with smallholders accounting for 92.53% of the total production.
Which is the first rubber plantation in Kerala?
India is one of the top 10 rubber producers in the world. Rubber is grown on an estimated 60,000 hectares of land, with the amount under “liquid gold” cultivation expected to quadruple in the next five years.
Kerala is India’s leading rubber-growing state. In 1902, the first commercial rubber plantations in India were created in Kerala’s Thattekadu. However, rubber cultivation became widespread in Kerala after 1940. Malanaadu, Idanaadu, Kottayam, and Palakkad are among the localities in Kerala where rubber is grown.
The northeast of India has the potential to become the world’s largest producer of natural rubber, and the country’s second rubber-based industrial park is being built in Tripura to help the industry grow.
Which soil is suitable for rubber cultivation?
Rubber is used to make over 36,000 different products, ranging from large truck tyres to little shrubs. Hevea brasiliensis, a commercial source of natural rubber, was imported to India in 1902 and planted in Kerala. Despite being a tropical tree, it thrives in the soils of the Northeast.
The tyre business consumes almost 85% of the natural rubber produced in India, and the need for rubber continues to rise. The following is a list of the basic requirements and a short list of procedures for cultivating rubber.
Rubber is planted in literate or loamy soil, primarily on slopes and undulated terrain, as well as slightly elevated level land with well drainage.
Rubber plants may be grown effectively up to a height of 450 meters above sea level.
Planting bud grafted plants in polythene bags (poly bag nursery) and transplanting them to the main field after they have established themselves will shorten the immaturity period. Growth will be more consistent, and there will be less causation in the primary field.
During the months of January and March, clearing operations may be carried out. After the trees have been felled and dried, a light burning can be done to guarantee that light bush wood and tree branches are destroyed.
Pitting is required to create an environment that is conducive to the early establishment and growth of new plants. The recommended pit sizes are 90x90x90 or 75x75x75cm. Topsoil, organic manure, and phosphatic fertilizer should be used to fill the pits.
Planting takes place from May through August, depending on the amount of rain. Bud grafted stumps can be planted in the field right away. If using a polybag plant, dig a hole in the center of the refilled pit that is the same size as the polybag. In the hole cut in the bottom of the polybag, place the polybag plant. A vertical cut is made in the bottom half of the polybag, and the empty space is filled with soil before carefully removing the polybag to prevent disturbing the soil around the plant. In one acre, about 450-500 plants can be sown.
To safeguard the plants from livestock or wild animals, the plantation should be well-protected with robust fence. A 1m radius plant base should be kept clean and weed-free. It is possible to produce a legume cover crop, which has numerous advantages. Manuring with a recommended dose of NPK combination should be done twice a year. Mulching and whitewashing should be done during a drought. A fire belt or live fire should be installed along the boundary to defend the holding from fire.
Plants will grow and be ready to tap within 6-7 years of planting if proper maintenance is performed. To begin tapping, the plants must reach a girth of 50cms.
How much rainfall is required for rubber?
It is ideal to have an annual average rainfall of at least 200 cm. When rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year, the rubber tree thrives. Rubber growing is possible in the world’s equatorial regions.
Soil:
Rubber thrives in a wide range of soils, including some that would be unsuitable for most crops. Soils that are deep, friable, and well-drained are optimal for root development, and acidic soils are also suitable.
Land:
Rubber plantations can be grown on flat or gradually undulating land. Typically, this land is obtained by clearing forests. When the native forest cover is lost, soil erosion is a common concern in tropical climates. Terraces are sometimes used to prevent soil erosion.