 |
One-hundred
seventeen-years
ago the domestication of the rubber tree
took place. Brazil provided the world
with the
rubber tree, Hevea Brasiliensis, but
that country no longer plays any
significant part in the
world NR (natural rubber)trade.
In 1873 seeds were exported from the
lower Amazon area of Brazil
to London UK by Henry Wickham, alocal planter acting for the British Government.
|
The seeds were germinated at the
Tropical Herbarium in Kew Gardens,
London and sent to India but died.
In 1876 2800 more seedlingso Ceylon (Now Sri Sanka)
where they grew strongly, and the
technique of tapping was developed. Once
established outside its native country
it was propagated in all British
Colonies. By 1898 a rubber plantation
had been established in Malaysia and today most plantations are in
Southeast Asia with some in Tropical
Africa.By 1900, most of the techniques and
agricultural practices
required to establish large plantations
had been developed. One
key technique was dud grafting. This is
essentially a cloning technique which
ensures that genetically identical trees
can be produced in unlimited numbers.
Simultaneously, local farmers saw the
opportunities of rubber cultivation, and
planted small groves of trees to
supplement their own income.
This gives rise to two types of
rubber plantations in most
producing countries: the estates, or
plantations and the smallholdings.
Estates are essentially large-scale
farms, with professional management.
Most latex comes from professionally
managed estates.
Latex Is Not Made From Sap
Latex is often described as the sap
of the Hevea tree. This is not an
accurate description. The sap runs
deeper inside the tree, beneath the
cambium. Latex runs in the latex ducts
which are in a layer immediately outside
the cambium. This highlights the skill
of the tapper. If the cambium is cut,
then the tree is damaged, because the
cambium is where all the growth takes
place.
Methods Of Latex Rubber Tapping
 |
All natural rubber originates in the
Hevea tree, and it starts
its journey when the tree is tapped.
Trees are rarely tapped more often than
once every two days.
A tapper starts the trek around the
plantation before dawn. At each tree a
sharp knife is used
to shave off the thinnest possible layer
from the intact section of bark. (The
cut must be neither too deep, nor too
thick. Either will reduce the productive
life of the tree.) This starts the latex
flowing, and the tapper leaves a little
cup underneath the cut. He returns later
that night and collects the cup. |
Processing Of Latex
After the latex is gathered on the
tapper's return journey it is then
poured into containers and delivered to
a processing station where is is
strained, heated and concentrated. At
the end of this process the latex is
washed of all proteins that could cause
allergies.
Environmental Conservation
When latex production tends
to diminish and the tree is so tall its
heavy crown is often
damaged (between 30 and 35 years) the
rubber trees are cut down
and replaced with new stock. The tree is
then used for wood and other uses.
|
