Assessment of Rubber Tapping Technology Quality in Memot Rubber Plantation Co., Ltd., Cambodia

Abstract

The rubber smallholders and rubber company plantation in considered the correct tapping method and latex preservation methods as the most important techniques. Controlling tapping technology, poor plantation management, use of conventional clones, low fertility of soil, use of old tapping systems, poor skill of tappers and poor knowledge of rubber smallholders on rubber management techniques are attributed low rubber yields, these are important factors in increasing the rubber yields. This study aims to 1) to assess the quality of rubber tapping technology 2) determine the relationship between bark consumption and latex yield of rubber. The study was conducted at Memot Rubber Plantation Co., Ltd, located in Memot District, which is located on the east of the provincial capital of Tboung Khmum province, Cambodia. The study was conducted from March 20 to June 20, 2018 by using questionnaires to interview with 140 tappers under 140 tapping tasks of tapping plots (6 tr/task ration with the length cut S/2 d3 7d/7 of the clones RRIM600 and GT1, 2008). The statistic used for data analysis were percentages to grade the quality of rubber tapping technology. Moreover, determining the factors with tapping technology quality and rubber bark consumption, variable evidence X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8 and Y used Statistical Program in social science to analyze the relationship between eights factors with grade level of rubber tapping technology quality, then there was analyzed by binary logistic regression, and the latex yield and bark consumption by analyze linear regression. Latex yield collected from each tree by weighing the cup lump (kg/tree and g/tree/tapping). Bark consumption (cm) measured on the tapped panel along the tapping period (day/year). The results showed that most of rubber tapping quality were in poor grade level such as 12.7A, 12.7B, 12.7C, 12.7D, 12.6B, 12.6C, 11.6C, 14.7B, 14.7C, 14.7D, 14.6C approximately 73.68%, 74.22%, 72.64%, 72.11%, 71.40, 72.23%, 71.27%, 71.82%, 74.55%, 72.60%, 65.30%, respectively and there were only two plots were in fair grade level such as 11.6B, 15.7C approximately 76.82%, 75.09% respectively. Amongst of eights factors there was bark consumption (X8) had relationship with rubber tapping technology quality (Y) (P<0.05) and all of eights factors showed that horning of tapping knives (X4), training (X7), tapping quality (X8) had relationship with rubber bark consumption (Y) (P<0.05). According to the relationship between rubber bark consumption and latex yield, it showed that the significant difference at 0.046 (P ≤ 0.05) the over bark consumption had relationship with latex yields. The equation showed that an increase over tapping knives per unit leading to latex yields decrease 1.630 times.