To increase area under cultivation and to tap the potential in non-traditional rubber growing areas, the Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII), in association with the National Remote Sensing Centre (an arm of ISRO), has established the unique spectral signature of rubber.
The technology would help estimate the spatial extent of the existing rubber plantation in the region and locate cultivable wastelands where cultivation of natural rubber could be extended without leading to deforestation and conversion of crop lands. Analysis of satellite data showed that no low lying land was being used for cultivation of rubber, indicating land use for growing rice had not been converted into rubber plantation so far.
In his presentation on rubber at the commodities outlook session at the recently-concluded Upasi meet in Coonoor, James Jacob, Director of RRII, said that the process was carried out in the North-East region and it has been found that “Tripura can have a total area of approximately 76,000 hectares of land under rubber cultivation without causing deforestation or conversion of rice fields.”
As of March 2012, Tripura has 59,285 hectares under rubber cultivation. The study also found that diverse crops with canopy underneath rubber could be integrated with rubber from planting onwards without affecting growth of rubber.
There is limited area available to expand rubber cultivation in the traditional rubber growing regions which include Kerala and Tamil Nadu (Kanyakumari district).
So, the Rubber Board is focusing on expanding rubber cultivation to non-traditional areas such as North-East, Konkan, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh. Next to the traditional regions, the north-eastern region had potential to grow rubber, the presentation said. Tripura is the second largest natural rubber cultivating State after Kerala.
Presenting his outlook for current year (2012-13), James Jacob projected a 9.3 lakh tonnes production against a consumption of 10 lakh tonnes. A conservative estimate showed that by 2016-17, production would be around 11.66 lakh tonnes against a consumption of 12.18 lakh tonnes.