Effect of Late Upward Tapping on the Productivity of the Metabolically Active Hevea brasiliensis Clone PB 260 in Southwestern Cote d'Ivoire
Kouakou N’guessan Kan Pulchérie *
Université Nangui Abrogoua, UFR Sciences de la Nature, Laboratoire de Biologie et Amélioration des Productions Végétales, 01 BP 801 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire.
Moro Affia Perpetue
Université Nangui Abrogoua, UFR Sciences de la Nature, Laboratoire de Biologie et Amélioration des Productions Végétales, 01 BP 801 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire.
Diarrassouba Moussa
Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Abidjan, Physiologie Végétales, 08 BP 10 Abidjan 08, Côte d’Ivoire.
Lehi Irénée Malydie
Laboratory of Biotechnology, Agriculture and Resource Development, UPR of Plant Physiology, Option Agrophysiology, Faculty of Biosciences, Félix Houphouët Boigny University, 22 B.P. 582 Abidjan 22, Côte d'Ivoire.
Konan Djézou
CNRA (Centre National de Recherche Agronomique), Station de Recherche de Bimbresso, 01 BP 1536 Abidjan 01, Cote d’Ivoire.
Koffi Antoine
UFR Agroforesterie, Université Jean Lorougnon, Laboratoire Amélioration de la Production, Agricole, BP 150 Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire.
Kouakou Tanoh Hilaire
Université Nangui Abrogoua, UFR Sciences de la Nature, Laboratoire de Biologie et Amélioration des Productions Végétales, 01 BP 801 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire.
Obouayeba Samuel
CNRA (Centre National de Recherche Agronomique), Station de Recherche de Bimbresso, 01 BP 1536 Abidjan 01, Cote d’Ivoire.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
In order to evaluate the improvement of rubber productivity of rubber trees by late upward tapping. A study was conducted at SCASO (Société Civile Agricole du Sud-Ouest) on the PB 260 clone of the active metabolic class. The experimental set-up is a Fisher block design with eight treatments and three replications. The treatments compared were bled in reverse in the eleventh year of harvest, in quarter spiral every 3, 4, 5 and 6 days, with stimulation frequencies of 6, 8, 10, 12 and 13 times a year. The parameters measured were rubber production, isodiametric growth, sensitivity to dry notching of trees and physiological profile. The results show that the different latex harvesting technologies improve the rubber productivity of PB 260 (5469 kg.ha-1.yr-1) with a low dry-nut rate (1.2%) and satisfactory radial vegetative growth (3.9cm.yr-1). The physiological profile of the trees is balanced, but the treatments significantly influenced the different parameters except sucrose. Trees bled in S/4U d3 gave better results due to their high yield with an acceptable dry notch rate. Late reverse tapping is therefore a good latex harvesting technology for improving rubber productivity after down tapping.
Keywords: Rubber tree, latex harvesting technology, productivity, upward tapping.