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LIFESPAN OF RUBBER CULTIVATION CAN BE SHORTENED FOR HIGH RETURNS: A FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT ON SIMULATED CONDITIONS IN SRI LANKA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2017

E. S. MUNASINGHE  and
V. H. L. RODRIGO
E. S. MUNASINGHE
Affiliation:
Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka, Dartonfield, Agalawatta 12200, Sri Lanka
V. H. L. RODRIGO*
Affiliation:
Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka, Dartonfield, Agalawatta 12200, Sri Lanka
*
†Corresponding author. Email: laksh@sltnet.lk
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Summary

Rubber is usually cultivated for lifespan of 30 years based on the technical feasibility of managing tapping panels. For obtaining early financial benefits, there is a demand for shorter lifespan with intensified tapping. With no research conducted on this line, the present study was focussed to investigate the financial feasibility of shortening the lifespan of rubber trees through lifecycle analyses with three principal scenarios of intensified harvesting, i.e. Intensified Harvesting throughout the Total harvesting Period to obtain a part or full amount of yield lost due to shortening the lifespan (IHTP), Intensified Harvesting only during last 6 Years (IH6Y) and Intensified Harvesting at last ¼ of harvesting Period (IH¼P). In IHTP, intensified tapping to achieve 10–15% of yield loss due to shortening the lifespan was found to be effective to reduce the lifespan even up to 21 years. Market price of rubber and tree stand per hectare were found to be the critical factors determining the best lifespan particularly in IHTP. The best lifespan under IH6Y and IH¼P scenarios was in the range of 19–22 years. Agronomic, environmental and social implications in shortening lifespan of rubber are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 54 , Issue 3 , June 2018 , pp. 323 - 335
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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