The Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) and the National Remote Sensing Centre have joined forces to increase rubber plantation and production by growing of rubber in non-traditional areas with the use of a unique spectral signature of rubber.
This new technology can help in looking for existing rubber plantations that can still be used to cultivate natural rubber without deforestation and conversion of crop lands. In the analysis found by the satellite data used for this latest technology, it was found our the now low lying land was being used to cultivate rubber and indicates that the land used for cultivating rice was not converted into a rubber plantation yet.
During the Upasi meet in Coonoor where the Director of RRII attended, he said that they have found approximately 7 6,000 hectares of rubber plantation that do not cause deforestation and are not yet converted into rice fields.
Tripura has over 59,285 hectares of rubber plantation as of March this year. The new technology has also found that various crops with canopy underneath can be integrated with rubber without affecting its growth.
In the traditional rubber plantation regions, there is only a limited area that can still be utilized for rubber cultivation. (PRA)