Effects of atmospheric and soil drought on growth and development of Hevea brasiliensis


Citation

Annamalainathan K., . and Mohamed Sathik M. B., . and Gawai Prakash P., . and Devakumar A. S., . and Jacob James, . and Vijayakumar K. R., . Effects of atmospheric and soil drought on growth and development of Hevea brasiliensis. pp. 190-198. ISSN 1511-1768

Abstract

A field study was conducted in the severely drought prone North Konkan region on the West coast of India where rubber plants (clone RRIM600) had been grown with and without summer irrigation since 1987. After nine years trees grown with irrigation had a 32 increase in leaf area index and nearly twice as much sunlight interception by their canopy as the rainfed trees. This led to 52 more shoot biomass per tree in the irrigated treatment. Irrigated trees had thicker bark and most of that was present as soft bark. At the end of the seventh and eighth year 78 and 97 of the irrigated trees were ready for tapping respectively suggesting fast and uniform growth of the trees. The rainfed trees however did not reach tapping stage even after nine years of growth indicating that water was the most important and the only limiting factor in this region. In the traditional rubber growing region of India where there is no severe drought stress the rainfed trees of the same clone attained tappable girth after nine years. Yield was significantly high in the irrigated trees grown in the North Konkan area compared to the traditional region. Thus the results indicate that with irrigation during summer rubber cultivation is possible and there is faster and more uniform growth and a higher latex yield in the non-traditional North Konkan region.


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Abstract

A field study was conducted in the severely drought prone North Konkan region on the West coast of India where rubber plants (clone RRIM600) had been grown with and without summer irrigation since 1987. After nine years trees grown with irrigation had a 32 increase in leaf area index and nearly twice as much sunlight interception by their canopy as the rainfed trees. This led to 52 more shoot biomass per tree in the irrigated treatment. Irrigated trees had thicker bark and most of that was present as soft bark. At the end of the seventh and eighth year 78 and 97 of the irrigated trees were ready for tapping respectively suggesting fast and uniform growth of the trees. The rainfed trees however did not reach tapping stage even after nine years of growth indicating that water was the most important and the only limiting factor in this region. In the traditional rubber growing region of India where there is no severe drought stress the rainfed trees of the same clone attained tappable girth after nine years. Yield was significantly high in the irrigated trees grown in the North Konkan area compared to the traditional region. Thus the results indicate that with irrigation during summer rubber cultivation is possible and there is faster and more uniform growth and a higher latex yield in the non-traditional North Konkan region.

Additional Metadata

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Item Type: Article
AGROVOC Term: Hevea brasiliensis
AGROVOC Term: Cultivation
AGROVOC Term: Drought stress
AGROVOC Term: Soil
AGROVOC Term: Drought
AGROVOC Term: Fertilisers
AGROVOC Term: Basin irrigation
AGROVOC Term: Irrigation
AGROVOC Term: Growth
AGROVOC Term: Environmental conditions
Depositing User: Ms. Suzila Mohamad Kasim
Last Modified: 24 Apr 2025 06:28
URI: http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/23324

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