~Chapter 4~
Tapping Process
Tapping
The purpose of doing this is to open the latex vessels in the tree bark so that latex will flow faster. To gain good tapping product, tapping must follow a certain procedure so that you will gain high production, beneficial and sustainable with still looking at the plants health factor.
Mature Tapping Determination
Before you start tapping, you have to know whether they are ready to be tapped or not. Ways to see if they are ready are its age and its trunk girth. Plantation that has normal growth with be ready at the age of 5 years, and the latex will stay for 25-35 years. However, this is considered not accurate because there are also other factors that can affect the growth that can’t be controlled by human.
The product gain depends on the plants characteristic to the environment. Good environment will affect the plant as it has vast growth. Bad environment on the other hand will produce slow growth. Age is the factor that determines its maturity, other way is also to measure its trunk girth.
Measuring its trunk girth is said to be the most accurate reading for maturity. Rubber tree that is ready to be tapped is the tree with the height 1m from the grafting distance or from ground. The trunk girth is 45cm. Rubber plantation start being tapped if 55% of the tree is ready to be tapped or show maturity.
Rubber Plantation Business Page 9