RUBBER

INTRODUCTION

Rubber is the juice of latex of Hevea brasiliensis, a plant native of the Amazon Valley. Processed latex from wild South American trees first came into use in the 19th century as a water proofing subsistence and pencil eraser product. But rubber did not attain importance until the early 20th century when a huge demand was created by the automobile and bicycle tyre industries.
Rubber in the natural form is extracted from more than 300 varieties of trees, vine and shrubs, chiefly found in tropical and sub-tropical regions. The increasing use of rubber has increased its commercial value and its cultivation spread far and wide. Today more rubber is produced chemically than by agricultural methods.

ORIGIN

Rubber is the juice or latex of Hevea brasiliensis a plant native of the Amazon Valley. It was discovered by Columbus in the form of elastic balls in the hands of American-Indian children. The Europeans learned that it can serve as eraser. But its real demand awaited the inventions of Mackintosh (1823) and Good Year (1839), which made possible the manufacture of rain-coats, boots and shoes. Later it was used as solid tyres on carriages and pneumatic tyres on bicycles. Today its most common use is in automobiles tyres and insular tubes.

SPREAD

The rubber tree is indigenous to Brazil. In the 19th century, the Brazilian government attempted to preserve its monopoly over the industry and banned the export of the plant. Nevertheless in 1886, an Englishman by the name of Henry Wickham successfully smuggled several thousand rubber seeds out of the country. He propagated the seeds first at Ken Gardens in London, and when he later planted them in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), he successfully launched the rubber industry in Asia. Within a short time, specially after N. H. Ridly (a botanist working in Singapore) discovered that prolonged tapping would not kill the plant, the rubber was introduced into Malaya and Indonesia.
In 1905, the year the first shipment of rubber was exported from Malaya, now called Malaysia, Brazil was producing 99% of the world supply. Today, Brazil accounts for less than 1%. Malaysia and Indonesia possessed a much efficient labor pool, easier access to ocean shipping and an environment for rubber growing that was equal to Brazil’s. It was only a matter of time before Southeast Asian countries came to dominate the industry.

GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS

Rubber is an equatorial plant and hence the ideal conditions are an uniformly high temperature and heavy rainfall throughout the year.
The primary rubber plant, Hevea brasiliensis, requires a hot, humid environment, where rainfall is no less than 70” and preferably atleast 100” and where average temperatures stay above 75o F. extremely high temperatures those above 95o F, usually desiccate the plant and discourage the flow of latex, the white liquid sap from which commercial rubber is made. The soil must be well drained, for rubber trees will trees will not grow with wet feet.

Temperature

Rubber plantation thrives in the equatorial regions with an annual average temperature of 75o F. Higher temperature without high humidity is injurious. When temperature is high and humidity is less, the juice is dried up rapidly which results in the cessation of latex flow.

Rainfall

For high yield of latex, considerable rainfall is necessary. For optimum, annual rainfall should be about 2500 mm (100”) to ensure progressive growth of the rubber plants and constant flow of latex. Rainfall must be evenly distributed. Dry periods retard the growth of plants and reduce the juices, and wet periods are not desirable for harvesting of the crop.

Soils

Rubber trees may be grown on any type of soil, provided that the climate is favorable. But for optimum growth, fertile and loamy soil with the adequate provision of drainage is necessary because rubber plants do not grow with wet feet. Soils rich in nitrogen and phosphorus are ideal for rubber plantation. Shallow soils also give better results if provided with artificial fertilizers.

Land

Rubber trees neither thrive on flat lands nor on steep slopes. The flat lands remain water soaked, so the trees suffer from foot rot and other fungus diseases. On steep slopes, owing to the rapid flow of waters the trees do not get sufficient moisture and the soil is washed away. So gentle slopes suits them the most. The windward slopes are always preferred as they attract moisture.

Disease Free Plantation

Rubber plants are victims of bacteria and fungal diseases. Young trees become easy victims of such diseases. Doth Idella is the most fatal disease in South America. Fungus disease affects the roots of rubber tree. It the trees are not treated, rubber production will be a problem and uneconomic.

ECONOMIC & OTHER FACTORS

Transportation, labor, capital, health, etc. seem to determine the location of rubber plantation within the Equatorial regions.
Rubber is grown in the tropics and sold in the temperate lands. A long distance exists between its place of production and market. Hence cheap and easy means of transportation are necessary. Equatorial lands being wet., swampy conditions prevail construction and maintenance of roads and railways are difficult. So river transportation is preferred which is easy and cheap. Location near the coast is preferred. One of the many reasons which has retarded the development of rubber plantation in the Amazon Valley and Congo Basin is their poor communication system. They also lie outside the main ocean routes.
Southeast Asia, which today dominates in the rubber plantation is visited by many ships from all parts of the world. Tropical South America is nearer to USA and Europe than Malaysia and Indonesia., yet it is cheaper to purchase rubber from Singapore than Taraguay, as the latter lies away from the busy ocean routes.

VARIETIES

High density of population is another factor which has attracted the rubber planters to Southeast Asia. A large amount of labor is required to look after the young plants. Collect the latex and prepare rubber for shipment. The densely populated countries of China, India and Indonesia supply the bulk of labor. A few skilled engineers and administrators come from Europe.
Huge capital is required for the purchase and clearing of lands, and construction of houses, roads and railways. The return starts to come after 5 years. The capital comes from wealthy European countries an is invested in the tropical colonies.
Rubber is a thickened juice, known as latex, obtained from more than 300 kinds of plants. These different sources cause different varieties of rubber. Besides the different kinds of trees, the regions of the origin of rubber and methods of curing are also responsible for its several varieties.

SOURCES

Rubber is obtained from the juice of a variety of trees, vines and shrubs. The following plants are the main sources and of major variety:

USES

METHOD OF EXTRACTION

PRODUCTION

South America

Asia

TRADE

Exports

Imports