Modifikasi Pisau Sadap Karet dengan Mekanisme Kontrol Ketebalan Sadapan dan Pencegahan Pelukaan Kambium pada Tanaman Karet

Abstract

Tapping techniques determine the productivity of rubber plant. Good tapping is done at deepness of 1 mm from the cambium and thickness among 1.5-2 mm. In practice, it is difficult to prevent the wounding of cambium cause tapping too deep so the shape of recovered skin became irreguler and difficult to tap. The thickness of tapping affect the economic life of the rubber tree. If the thickness exceed 2 mm, tapping fields will quickly run out. Modified rubber tapping knife could control the thickness of tapping and prevent the wounding of cambium due to tapping. This knife tapped on the average thickness of 1.96 mm and 6.57 mm of deepness, does not exceed of the rubber skin that is 8.55 mm. Then statistical test was conducted to determine the effect of the thickness of tapping and latex production. The result showed that the thickness of tapping (above 1.5-2 mm) was not significant to amount of latex production. So tapping by using the modified rubber tapping knife can save tapping field untill 66%.