Field Maintenance Guidelines

For Mature Rubber Area

5. Other Hazards

5.1 Fire Damage.

Fire is a very real and dangerous hazard to Hevea planting of any

age. The most common cause of fire damage is from dead
lalang/cogon leaves (Imperata cylindrica) and dry ground cover, that
can get set on fire during an intense dry season.

Once started the fire rapidly passes over large areas scorching trunks
up to a height of 8 - 10 feet.

Normally the passage of the flames is so rapid that only the surface of
the trunk is scorched, and usually the burning of the deeper cortical
tissues is avoided. The extent of the damage done is directly
dependent on whether or not the area had been strip sprayed to clean
tree row conditions. Clean tree rows keep the fire far enough away
from the trunk so that there should be no damage, except for
scorched leaves on the lower crown, which will fall off, and be
regenerated.

If the ground conditions on the tree row are dirty, the tree trunk will be
damaged. If the scorched trunk is not treated immediately, boring
beetles will likely be at work shortly after the fire is out. Hence prompt
action is necessary. If immediate action is not taken, the insects
multiply, and a large number of trees can be lost through this
negligence.

The prominent fungus in cases of trees scorched by fire has proved to

be Ustulina zonata. This pathogen is commonly found associated with
attacks by boring beetles, and if neglected, trees scorched by fire are
found heavily attacked by boring beetles. The wood will usually show
the typical symptoms of little holes with saw dust coming out.

Method of Control

Prevention:

a. With the advent of dry weather, all trees rows must be kept clean
to maintain 3 - 4 foot bare strip each side of the tree.

b. Where rubber borders on sheet lalang/cogon grasses areas a 15 -

20 yard strip free of vegetations, or planted to less inflammable
vegetation, should be maintained.

CAP-PBD Post-Replanting Rubber Manual 110

 Field Maintenance Guidelines
For Mature Rubber Area

Treatment.

For purposes of treatment scorched trees can be divided into two

groups: (a) slightly scorched, (b) badly scorched.

For slightly scorched trees treatment should commence as soon as

the laborers can work in the burned area. Labor and Supervision
should be concentrated on treating the lightly scorched trees rapidly; if
the borers get well into the wood there is little hope of saving the
trees.

Affected panels should be coated with a thick layer of tree grease or

whitewash + Thiodan in order to protect the exposed tissues.

For heavily scorched trees, the cortical tissues may be so badly

burned that treatment involves removal of the whole of the bark. In
such cases it is probably more economical to cut the trees right out.
However, if badly burned trees seem capable of proving amenable to
treatment, and it is proposed to let badly burned trees remain, the
whole of the burned tissue should be cut (tapped) or scraped away
and the exposed surfaces coated with grease.

5.2 Lightning Damage.

A direct lightning strike may kill a tree outright or split stems and
remove a strip of bark; when such havoc occurs it is not usually too
difficult to correctly diagnose the cause. However, less severe
discharge may have equally disastrous effects which are not readily
recognized nor correctly diagnosed.

In this latter case, damage may not be noticed until green leaves
begin to fall with the stalks attacked, or until boring beetles begin their
activities.

Usually, affected trees will occur in groups with the centrally placed
trees evincing the most severe effects and the less damaged trees
occurring near the margin giving the impression of the outward spread
of a disease.

Often, especially with very young trees, a light scraping of the affected
stems or branches reveals a normal green layer beneath the cork, but

CAP-PBD Post-Replanting Rubber Manual 111

 Field Maintenance Guidelines
For Mature Rubber Area

on deeper penetration the cambium is seen to be discolored faintly

purple.
In cases of lightning damage the bark dies outwards from the
cambium, while when attacked by fungi the bark dies from the outside
inwards.

A further type of damage, often ascribed to Phythium, known as

“patch canker”, and considered a fungus attack, has been observed
on trees over two to three years old.

When lightning has struck upwards from the ground, instead of

downward through the branches, a canker at the base of the tree mat
be the only visible injury.

Such cankers may be several inches across and will exude a purplish
fluid. On excision the normally creamy white inner bark is seen to be
claret colored; latex pads form between the bark and the wood.

Little can be done for trees damaged by lightning. Dying trees should
be removed, and dying branches pruned and the wounds treated.
Cankers should be cut away to healthy tissue and disinfected, and the
wound sealed with grease.

5.3 Herbicide Injury.

The extensive use of herbicides for suppressing weed growth can
lead to widespread accidental poisoning of trees either by direct
contact with the stem of branches or by absorption through the roots.

Bark contaminated by an herbicide solution dies after spraying. Latex

exudes from the dead bark and, in severe cases, open wounds form.
Symptoms of injury by absorption take longer to appear.

They appear first as vertical splits in the bark and are followed by
bleeding. Often, the poisoned tissues can be traced through the wood
following the spiral course of the vessels.

Poisoning may be spread between trees by root grafts. It is not

possible to counteract the effect of a poison, only to treat the resulting
wounds. Exposed wood should be disinfected. A common cause of
tree poisoning, is the pouring away of herbicide mix left over in a drum
or a sprayer at the end of the day. This is of course very wasteful, and
it is for better to pay overtime if necessary to finish up the chemical,

CAP-PBD Post-Replanting Rubber Manual 112

 Field Maintenance Guidelines
For Mature Rubber Area

by spraying it where it is meant to be sprayed, rather than throwing it

out, and risking tree poisoning.
5.4 Wind / Storm Damage.

If not properly handled, storm damage to trees may result in further

serious problems such as fire and insect infestations. Additionally,
considerable interference with tapping may ensue from uncleared
debris.

Fallen timber, i.e. uprooted trees and broken branches, should be

cleared to restore normal access.

Such wood should be cut by hand or chainsaw to manageable sized

pieces, and then stacked lengthwise in avenues, and burned in small
fires. Do not permit large bonfires.

If a large amount of timber is available, it may be sold to or cleared

free by local charcoal burners or other interested parties. Alternatively,
laborers should be encouraged to collect it for firewood.

Irregular stumps or snapped branches should all be pruned and tree

grease should be applied to all cut surfaces.

Trees which have suffered trunk snap, but which may usefully recover,
should be polled to ensure an even top.Such trees will still be virtually
upright, and the breakage point will usually be not less than two
meters above ground level.

Again, the newly cut surface(s) should be given a grease dressing.

New branching will occur from the trunk, and care must be taken to
ensure that only about two strong shoots are allowed to develop in a
balanced fashion not lower than 0.5 meter from the top of the
truncated tree.

Branching from bark reserve areas must be prevented.

Tapping of such trees should be suspended for six months, to permit

regeneration of leafed shoots, and to assist recovery. It is helpful to
use a date stencil, (e.g., 1-9-2005) which may be applied with white

CAP-PBD Post-Replanting Rubber Manual 113

 Field Maintenance Guidelines
For Mature Rubber Area

paint above the tapping cut, in order to indicate the tapping

resumption date.
Re-tasking should now be carried out, and field stand records
amended.

Where trees are so hopelessly damaged that little more than a stump
remains, the stump must be dug out and burned ashes to eliminate it
as a potential source of Rigidoporus Lignosus (fomes).

If storm damage results in the creation of open patches in the rubber

stand, weeds will usually benefit from the additionally available light.
Such patches must therefore be marked for special attention during
weeding rounds, as they tend to become focal points of weed
expansion.

5.5 Rat Damage

Wild animal frequently enter rubber plantings in new clearings or near

primary or secondary forests. Further, the decaying timber and
brushwood, as well as ground covers, provides shelter to some of the
smaller animals like rats.

The commonest mammal pests of rubber are the rodents, which

includes rats, squirrels and porcupines. Rats dig out germinating
seedlings to feed on the cotyledons. In other seedlings and buddings,
they nibble away pieces of bark from ground level to the top,
sometimes eating the terminal buds as well. They also cut the stem of
small seedlings and young bud shoots to eat the soft portion of the
stem.

In some areas, rats can topple down one to three year old trees by
nibbling round the stem at the collar and proceeds to feed on the tap
root, digging a crater around it as it progresses downward.

Rodents are controlled by distributing poison baits in the areas by

trapping. Rats are attracted by variety of food, any cereal or corn,
coconut, dried fish, etc.

CAP-PBD Post-Replanting Rubber Manual 114

 Field Maintenance Guidelines
For Mature Rubber Area

The following are some of the recommended steps to control rats

infestation.

a. The rodenticide to be used is “RACUMIN”.

b. Racumin is mixed with bait. Firstly, Racumin is add with milled corn
+ fine grains of rice (comparison 1:11:8), for example:

¼ kg Racumin
5¼ kgs milled corn
4 kgs fine grains of rice
10 kgs bait and Racumin for rat.

Note: Avoid directly touching the bait and poison because the rat
will be suspicious if it catches the smell of humans.

Therefore, during weighing, mixing and placing the baits care must
be taken by using special equipment made for the purpose.

c. Placement of the bait.

 The bait is put in the special cylinder/can a +/-500 grams.

 The cylinder is made of a joint of bamboo.

 Placement of the bait/poison is to be done at the suspicious

areas as the shelter of the rats as well as their ways in and out
the shelter. Place the cylinder containing the bait/poison +/-50
meters from each other. Every day the baits are to be checked
and added wherever necessary.

5.6 Protection of Workers Exposed to Noxious Chemicals

ALL AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS

ARE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS

Workers who are exposed to noxious chemical vapor or spray,

especially operations of fogging machinery, must be provided with
protective masks, to protect the nose and mouth.

CAP-PBD Post-Replanting Rubber Manual 115

 Field Maintenance Guidelines
For Mature Rubber Area

In addition, where the possibility exists of chemicals being absorbed

through the skin, workers should be encouraged to wear clothing
which minimizes skin exposure.
All workers who work with any agricultural chemicals must always
wash hands before smoking, or eating food.

Where applicable goggles should be provided for the protection of the

workers eyes.

Safety glasses should also be given to tappers who are doing upward
tapping.

CAP-PBD Post-Replanting Rubber Manual 116