Implications of Seasonal Ecophysiological Changes under Rubber-Based Intercropping Practices on Latex Production and Technological Properties of Hevea Rubber

Zar  Ni Zaw; Rawee Chiarawipa; Sayan Sdoodee

doi:10.11113/mjfas.v21n3.3447

Authors

Zar Ni Zaw Agricultural Innovation and Management Division, Faculty of Natural Resources, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
Rawee Chiarawipa Agricultural Innovation and Management Division, Faculty of Natural Resources, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
Sayan Sdoodee Agricultural Innovation and Management Division, Faculty of Natural Resources, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11113/mjfas.v21n3.3447

Keywords:

Hevea brasiliensis, leaf area index, latex biochemical composition, latex Mg content, molecular weight characteristics, rheological properties, soil moisture content.

Abstract

Rubber-based intercropping is a recommended practice due to its ecological and economic benefits. Understanding the implications of ecophysiological changes in intercropping farms on the production and technological properties of Hevea rubber is still necessary. This study investigated the effects of seasonal changes in the leaf area index (LAI) and soil moisture content (SMC) of rubber-based intercropping farms (RBIFs) on the latex biochemical composition, yield, and technological properties of Hevea rubber. Three RBIFs: rubber-bamboo (RB); rubber-melinjo (RM); rubber-coffee (RC), and one rubber monocropping farm (RR) were selected in a village in southern Thailand. Data were collected from September to December 2020 (S1), January to April 2021 (S2), and May to August 2021 (S3). Over the study period, RB, RM, and RC exhibited significantly high LAI values of 1.2, 1.05, and 0.99, respectively, whereas RR had a low LAI of 0.79. The increasing SMC with soil depths was pronounced in all RBIFs. RB and RM expressed less physiological stress and delivered latex yield, which was on average 40% higher than that of RR. With higher molecular weight distributions, their rheological properties were comparable to those of RR. However, the latex Mg content of RB and RM significantly increased to 660 and 742 mg/kg, respectively, in S2. Their dry rubbers had an ash content of more than 0.6% in S3.

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