Research and development support is essential for the healthy growth of any industry. With the development of the rubber plantations in South East Asia, research on various aspects of rubber cultivation started in most rubber producing countries, Malaysia and Sri Lanka giving early leadership. Though rubber cultivation on a commercial scale started in India in 1902, R&D activities to support the growing plantation industry were meager in the early phase of its growth. However, the institutional support provided by the government through the establishment of the Rubber Board under the Rubber Act, 1947 resulted in the spectacular growth of the industry during the second half of the last century. There was phenomenal increase in the area under rubber as well as in production. More importantly productivity increased from a mere 300 kg/ha in the early 1950s to 1576 kg/ha in 2000-01. The contribution of R&D and extension programmes of the Board to this remarkable progress needs no emphasis.
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