talent-kerala.net
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MICHAEL MATHAI: SKILLFUL TAPPING EXTENDS RUBBER YIELD BEYOND 30 YEARS | |||||||
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At a time when the use-and-throw paradigm is prevalent even in the field of agriculture, rubber planter Michael Mathai of Edamaruku, Erattupetta is different. Planted in 1975, his rubber trees are growing strong and yielding profitable margins, while many plantations adjacent to his land, started at the same time have gone through a slaughtering and replanting stage. And the way he treats his trees, one could surmise that he hopes to tap their potential for another 30 years. His technique is deceptively simple: use upward and downward tapping as the need dictates. And he had stumbled across the technique by chance, long before Rubber Board had advocated it. One year after tapping began, one of the trees started showing signs of poor yield. When 2 years of rest did not improve matters, he tried upward tapping at ¼th circumference. And he found that the latex flow was even better than in the initial stages. So he stuck to this method for that particular tree. Slowly he extended the technique to other affected trees. Here too, he stuck to tapping at ¼th circumference. For the past 15 years he does not provide any fertilizer for the tress either. This again was a play of chance. That year he could not line up workers for the job. And since then the practice has continued, without any adverse effects. The only manure added is mulch from the legumes grown in the plantation. Perhaps the 175 trees could not have refused to yield their milk to someone who wields the knife with surgeon’s precision. He had started his quest 30 years ago with 1¾-acre plantation. Slowly he could increase it to 4-acres and buy a plot of land in a good locality with no other source of income. Certainly an incremental achievement for a perspiring effort.
Courtesy:
Nimmy George (text), Karshakasree, December 2005 |
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"What is bred in the bone will not go out of the flesh." |