LOW WINTER TEMPERATURE REST BASED TAPPING SYSTEM FOR TRIPURA AND NORTH BENGAL

摘要

Formulation of an appropriate tapping system is one of the prime requirements in North East India because of the prevalence of low winter temperature, heavy rain and high wind speed unlike that in the traditional rubber growing regions of India. The peak yielding periods mostly coincide with periods of low temperature in this region. In order to optimize the tapping in this region, three different trials were carried out in two agroclimatic zones namely, Agartala in Tripura and Nagrakatta in North Bengal. The treatments were two tapping systems (1/2Sd/2 and 1/2Sd/3) and low winter temperature rest based on different minimum temperature regimes. The study was conducted for five years on a high yielding clone (RRIM 600). It was observed that under the 1/2Sd/2 systems of tapping 15-15?? and 12-12?? rest regimes were the best combinations for Agartala and Nagrakatta respectively. The post-rest period (summer) yield under these regimes were higher. Another experiment was conducted in a farmer's field in Nagicherra, Tripura with the clone RRII 105 following the 2/1 Sd/2 system of tapping and rest regimes of 10-10??, 12-12?? and 15-15?? with trees tapped without rest as control. Under rainguarded conditions the yield in the 12-12?? rest regime was found to be on par with that of 15-15?? for rhis clone.