1. Field of the Invention

Rubber tapping is the harvesting operation of the rubber tree by which latex, the raw material for the rubber based industries is extracted from the trees. The process of rubber tapping is carried out by continuous excision of a thin layer of the bark at an angle of 30° to the horizontal in half circumference starting at 1.25 meters from the base and continued downwards. The tapping panel is opened exactly vertical in the case of all the clones planted so far and the existing technology for this tapping has been developed by H.N.Ridley in 1890-91 and is being followed in all rubber growing countries around the world. Hence the existing technology is Downward Vertical Tapping or DVT.. But while working at the Rubber Research Institute of India the undersigned could develop an innovative rubber tapping technology namely INCLINED UPWARD TAPPING (IUT) in which though the basic principle is continuous excision of bark itself, the direction of tapping is exactly opposite, ie from bottom upwards and the orientation of the tapping panel is inclined as against the vertical. Hence it is Inclined Upward Tapping or IUT. The scientific paper on this technology development was published during 1996 itself.

2. Background of the Invention

It is known that inside the rubber bark the latex vessels are oriented at an angle, inclined towards the right side and are never vertical. In different clones this angle also varies from 2° to 7°. Hence by opening vertical panel on the bark with inclined vessels we are cutting and damaging larger number of vessels than half of the total by opening vertical panel on bark with inclined vessels. This will cause considerable yield loss. Hence it was clear that on the clones with inclined latex vessels the tapping panels have to be inclined parallel to the inclination of the latex vessels so as to avoid damage to the vessels unnecessarily. The most popular and the most high yielding clone RRII-105 which is now planted in more than 85% of the area under rubber has got the highest degree of inclination namely 7° to the normal. Thus it was clear that the upward tapping of this clone has invariably to be at an angle of 7° to the normal, that is Upward Tapping at an angle of 7° inclination, that is IUT tapping with 7° inclination. Hence the need for a template to mark the panel at 7° to the normal was felt and hence the invention of the template was made for extraction of maximum latex from the tree, at the same time avoiding any damage to the tree especially in the form of Tapping Panel Dryness which is a very severe problem with the existing Downward Vertical Tapping.

3. Summary of the Invention

The template invented for the purpose of marking the rubber trees for the innovative technology of Inclined Upward Tapping is made of GI (galvanized iron) sheet of 28 gauge thickness and is cut in the shape of a right angled triangle ABC with angle BAC 7°. ABC 90° and ACB 83°. The length of side AB is 125 cm, BC 15 cm and AC 126 cm (Fig 1) .

The manner in which it is to be performed

On the tree trunk of clone RR1I-105 the vertical base lines at half circumference are marked using the conventional utensils such as the wooden scale and the marker. Then the new template fabricated is kept in such a way that the straight line of the template AB coincides with the base line of the front panel drawn on the tree trunk and the 7° angle point A is at the bottom 10 cm above the bud union of the tree and the line BC is towards the right side of the base line on the tree trunk. Then a line has to be drawn on the trunk connecting A and the point C of the template by bending and pressing the side BC of the template on the trunk surface keeping it adpressed to the surface thoroughly well. This is the Inclined line No.l (Fig.2). Just like that on the opposite side of the tree where the other base vertical line has been marked at half the circumference of the tree. Inclined Line No.2 has to be marked (Fig.2 dotted line) towards the right as described above. Now connecting the Inclined Line No. 1 and No.2 the tapping panel has to be marked from the lower most point (10 cm above bud union) of Line No. 1 to Line No.2, towards the left side using the conventional template used for marking of tapping panel which has got 30° of inclination to the horizontal (Fig.3). Since this is from the Line No. 1 to Line No.2 which are already 7° slanting to the vertical the real angle of the panel to the horizontal becomes 37°. This marked as abed on the opposite side of the tree is for the first year. Tapping has to be commenced from the lower most guide line ab (Fig.2) and to be continued upwards using the Jcbong knife. Once this area is over, the next year's panel has to be marked above cd using the conventional template as described above deef (fig.4). Thus the tree can be tapped upto any convenient height of 2.5m or still higher up to the height where branch arises or even to branches using long handled tapping knife from the ground or using the same Jebong knife with the help of Aluminium ladder or suitable platform constructed for the purpose. The panel will spiral above around the trunk. Once the A panel is completed all around the trunk in half circumference the tree can be tapped on the opposite B panel, also starting from the bottom and continuing upwards as described above. This new Inclined Upward Tapping System has produced above 45% of yield increase and reduction of Tapping Panel Dryness incidence to a mere one third compared to the conventional. Downward Vertical Tapping System which is being continued for over a century in India and in all rubber growing countries. The economic life span of the tree can be doubled with tremendous increase in the yield potential all throughout at no additional cost at all with enhanced income to the labourer as well which will in fact revolutionise the field of rubber tapping. This is the first of its kind in the whole world.

4. Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure.l

Figure. 1 shows the new template designed and fabricated for IUT Tapping Drawing No. l shows the template cut out of G I. Sheet triangular in shape with AB 125 cm, AC-126 cm and BC 15 cm length and BAC 7° , ZABC 90° and ZBCA 83° (Drawn at scale 10cm = 1 cm).

Figure.2
Figure.2 shows the 1st stage of marking of the tree for tapping using the template for
IUT System of Tapping.1 is the 1st inclined line marked at 7° to the normal base line and 2 the dotted line shows the inclined line marked at 7° to the normal on the opposite side.

Figure.3

Figure.3 shows the method of marking of the area for 1st year of tapping Connecting the two inclined lines, with the help of the conventional template the portion abed has been marked with 4 guide lines with their portion on the opposite side shown as dotted lines. This area abed is for one year of tapping. First of all tapping will commence at line ab and will continue upwards upto line cd using the Jebong knife following the rules in force namely excision of only a post card thickness of bark and keeping the depth of tapping to the optimum so as to cut the maximum number of latex vessels at the same time not injuring the cambiam and the wood inside.

Figure.4

Figure.4 shows the method of marking of the area for 2"' year of tapping Figure 4 shows the area 'dcef marked above abed for 2" year of tapping, using the conventional template. Thus tapping will proceed upwards continuously at 7° so that the tapping panel on half spiral will gradually spiral up on the tree trunk. Hence Inclined Upward Tapping.

5. Detailed Description of the Invention

The direction of latex flow in the tree trunk being only downwards and downwards through the bark tissue namely phloem and the orientation of latex vessels being at an angle of 7° to the normal in clone RRII-105 the most popular high yielding and disease tolerant clone, it was proved by the applicant by detailed experiment that the existing system of tapping developed by H.N. Ridley during 1890-91 by Downward Tapping on vertical panel is highly unscientific and that is responsible for lower yield and the serious syndrome by name Tapping Panel Dryness or TPD. It is due to this unscientific technology that the rubber plantation industry at present is facing very serious crisis whereby the gap between production and consumption is widening year after year. Hence taking the direction of flow of latex and the orientation of the vessels an Innovative Rubber Tapping Technology by name 1UT the first of its kind in the whole world could be developed by the applicant which is capable of solving all the problems simultaneously by enhancing the yield significantly, reducing the Tapping panel dryness to almost nil, enhancing the health and economic life span of the trees considerably and enhancing the income of the labourers as well along with elimination of environmental pollution due to hazardous stimulant. Hence this technology is well capable of revolutionising the field of rubber production, a white revolution indeed.

In order to practice the new tapping technology the trees are to be marked for tapping for upward tapping on inclined tapping panel So far no one has practiced this technology in the whole rubber growing countries For marking of the trees for IUT the new template was designed and cut out from Gl sheet The template designed and fabricated for the purpose is most essential to mark the tapping panel at 7° angle to the normal. Though quite simple without its use the inclined panel can never be marked. Hence the invention was made which enables tapping of the tree all through out in the upward direction towards the source of latex at the same time using only just half of the total no. of latex vessels present all through out thus extracting latex with minimum damage to the trees at the same time enhancing the income to the grower the labourers, the health and longevity of the trees and even the health of the people as the use of the hazardous stimulant can totally be eliminated in IUT.

6. Claims

I claim

1. I have invented a template for marking the rubber trees of clone RRII-105 in the
newly developed INCLINED UPWARD TAPPING (IUT) SYSTEM for ensuring higher yield of above 45% and reducing Tapping Panel Dryness incidence to a mere one third as against the conventional downward vertical tapping system now employed in India and all other rubber growing countries.

2. I have invented the apparatus and the method of its use by keeping the template with the end A of 7° angle above 10 cm from bud union coinciding with the vertical base line on the trunk and the side BC towards the right side, adpressing the plate on the trunk surface and marking the inclined line No. 1, AC, and marking the 2nd inclined line AC" on the opposite side of the tree at half circumference in the same manner and drawing the tapping panel at the bottom from 1st inclined line to the T one, tapping the tree from the lower most guideline using a Jebong knife and continuing tapping upwards, and repeating the same process above the 1st marked panel during the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and year and so on upto 2.5m or higher and repeating the same on the opposite side also employing long handled knife for higher levels above shoulder level of the tapper or using the same Jebong knife with the help of Aluminium ladder to achieve above 45% yield all throughout with reduced Tapping Panel Dryness incidence, all achieved at no additional cost to the grower.