Effect of Early Upward Tapping on Rubber Productivity of Clone PB 260 of the High Metabolic Activity Class

In order to evaluate the effect of early upward tapping on rubber productivity of rubber trees and to determine its proportion relative to downward tapping, a study was conducted at SAPH Divo on the PB 260 clone of the fast metabolic activity class. The experimental set-up was a Fisher block with seven treatments and three replications. Tapping was carried out in d3 with 6 stimulations. Three upward tapping times at 6, 7 and 8 years, each coupled with two concentrations of the stimulating paste 2.5 and 5% of Ethephon and a downwardly tapped control stimulated with 5% of Ethephon were tested. The data collected were for rubber production, isodiametric growth, tapping panel dryness susceptibility and tree physiological profile. The results showed that the different treatments tapped in upward at 6, 7 and 8 years of age significantly improved the productivity of the PB 260 clone relative to the control by downward for nine years. All treatments combined, rubber productivity (4723 kg.ha-1.yr-1) and radial vegetative growth (3.8 cm.yr-1) were good. The gain in rubber productivity of the early upward tapping compared to the downward tapping was 42%. The tapping panel dryness rate was low at 2.6% and the physiological profile of the trees was well balanced. Our results suggest that PB 260, and therefore metabolically active clones, can be tapped in early upward tapping, especially at 6 years of age.