Model 8: Ecologically sustainable rubber plantations on Alfisols, Ultisols and Oxisols

Natural rubber is obtained from the rubber tree, Hevea Brasiliensis. For a very long time now, Indian farmers have been producing natural rubber as a raw material for rubber industries like tyres, sports goods and footwear, condoms, gloves,etc. Rubber tree is a tropical evergreen tree and is cultivated in Western Ghats under such an environment which is very rich in biodiversity and are key watersheds for rivers and streams supplying to the states, human settlements and industries in the plains. These Hotspots are home to several endemic and endangered flora and fauna, which without the active participation and involvement of all stakeholders in their conservation will be lost forever. Soil erosion resulting in reduced soil fertility is a main problem that could result from rubber monocultures impacting the future of biodiversity and survival of the population in the area.

Over decades of experience the rubber planters have developed such sustainable management practices that not only prevented soil erosion and fertility but also protected the biodiversity of the region and thus emerged as a sustainable land management system. Some of the management practices practiced in such ecologically sustainable rubber plantations are described below:

Soil management to prevent erosion

1. A ground cover is always maintained. The cover crop species depend upon the soil type, moisture, amounts and intensity of rainfall, seasonality, and slope

2. Complete recycling of biomass generated in the system, no burning and no removal of biomass from the estates

3. Guided flow of water to provide perfect drainage using natural flows based on slopes supplemented by placing check structures to trap sediments to prevent the loss of rich top soil from plantations

4. All natural permanent and semi-permanent flow lines are maintained

5. Terracing along contours on slopes is made and replacing plants is done in phases to ensure minimum soil loss

6. Crop diversity and biodiversity in plantations is increased by intercropping with local species of both ecological and economic importance

Integrated Weed Management

1. Manual weeding, especially of the hardy weeds, while retaining soft weeds that act as a cover crop and contribute to checking soil-erosion

2. Use of cover crops and mulches exploiting nitrogen fixation and positive allelopathic effects, thus preventing the growth of weeds

Increasing biodiversity of the plantation

Planting inter- and cover-crops with local species of both ecological and economic importance has helped enhance or maintain a diversity of predators of pests, micronutrient levels in soil, reduced spread of disease and pest attack. As a consequence, this has reduced use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Significant improvement in overall productivity and stability in these estates,

rather than in monoculture estates, has been observed. This is aided by imparting, regulating and supporting many ecosystem

services such as nutrient-cycling, regulation of water flow and storage, regulation of soil movement, and pollination, among others. The ultimate result is an economically viable and ecologically resilient system.