Hevea in New Area of Thailand: Success and Growth potx

Since year 1989; Thai government policy has expanded rubber plantation to non-traditional area Background of Rubber Plantation in Non-traditional area... in 2004; expanded rubber plant

Hevea in New Area

of Thailand:

Success and Growth

Warunee Boonnam Pisamai

Chantuma Darunee Kosaisaiwee Picheat

Prommoon

Since year 1989; Thai government

policy has expanded rubber plantation

to non-traditional area

Background of Rubber Plantation

in Non-traditional area

in 2004; expanded rubber plantations

160,00 ha both in the North and Northeast

High price push farmers to plant rubber

Background of Rubber Plantation

Rubber planting area

Recent rubber planting areas (in

2004)

more constraint both land and environment than rubber plantations in the past such

as

low soil fertility unsuitable soil physic rainfall average only 1,000-1,200 mm./year

To analyze and evaluate rubber plantations success

in term of statistic

Objective

to khow real problems

to used these data

for further rubber

research and development

-Surveys rubber plantations

in the Northeast region : 19 provinces

: 1,500 holdings

Material and Methods

appointment with farmers

interview to know basic data of each

farm; location, management, workers etc collected data in plantation and check some factors; cultivation, soil and water source etc

1 no survival trees

2 rubber growth

3 soil, environment

4 cultivation and maintenance

5 socio-economic factors: workers

6 girth in each area

- Girth at 1.70 m from ground

- 100 trees/plantation

Rubber survive, variation and

growth

Results after

5 ½ years

Planting date : 2004 (age 5 1/2 years)

Province Girth std sample tappedno

-Planting date : 2004 (age 5 1/2 years)

standard girth : 38.0 cm.,at RRit experimental plots

(Maemeun et al., 1994)

Province Girth std no sample tapped Khonkaen 28.0 5.3 21 4.8 Mahasalakham 33.1 5.8 8 -

Yasothon 32.0 5.2 40 7.5 Roiet 28.5 5.9 56 10.7 Nakhonphanom 32.9 5.4 48 18.8 Mudahan 33.9 5.2 40 7.5 Surin 31.3 5.4 40 -

Srisaket 31.6 5.6 44 15.9 Loie 28.9 5.7 33 3.0 Nongkhai 33.0 4.8 45 26.7 Kalasin 32.1 6.1 43 -

Burirum 36.5 5.1 41 14.6

Average girth in each provinces 26-35 cm less than standard girth (38 cm)

Northeast region

Rubber plantations age 5 ½ years have been tapped 3-27% which girth average

33 cm

Northeast region

Topography, soil and environment

Average rain 1,000-1,200 mm

5.4 0.3-0.9 0.02-0.04 1-19 7-38

optimum

4.5-5.5 1.0-2.5 0.11-0.25 11-30 >40

Nitrogen : Low Available P: Low to medium Available K: Low

Management index

Conclusions

Rubber growth in traditional areas are 33 cm

non-Conclusions

We can predict

- 17% of plantations can be tapped in May 2010 when age 7 years

- 57% and 26% plantations can be

tapped when age 7 ½ and 8 years

respectively

Conclusions

Both suitable rubber plantation area and

environment are important factors to

encourage rubber plantations success

Conclusions

Moreover the knowledge, maintenance and interest, habit and behavior of farmers are more powerful to support rubber plantation success too