Rubber Tree Irrigation

Post by **stoneman** » February 17, 2007, 2:47 pm

We have started growing rubber trees on our farm between Udon and Nong Khai. 5 years ago, we put out 800 trees on some land that we owned that was setting idle. They are doing well and should start to produce in a couple of years.

2 years ago, we bought another 20 rai, most of which was in rice paddies. The portion that was not in rice paddies, we put to rubber trees...about 400 trees. We have a family taking care of the place and we have them watering the trees on a weekly basis during the dry season. It really makes a difference in the growth rate. A lot more work but worth it in the end. Oh yes, we have a 40 meter deep well and it pumps a lot of water. Our method for these trees is basically pulling rubber hoses all over the place to get the water to the trees.

This system works OK for these 400 trees plus our 50 avocado trees...but last March, I bulldozed all the rice paddies and converted the area to handle more rubber trees...The local Thais were not thrilled that I bulldozed 35 rice paddies, but they got over it. So last Spring at the beginning of the rainy season, we planted another 800 rubber trees and they really did well during the rainy season. But this is too much to water by pulling rubber hoses, so I want to install a "drip type" irrigation system for these 800 trees.

Basically I will put up a 4,000 liter tank and pump into it from the well.Then I need to carry this water through a 1" PVC pipe for a total of 250 meters. I have 20 rows of trees and will take this pipe down the middle and install 40 1/2" PVC lines(20 on each side). Each line will be about 50 meters long and irrigating about 20 trees. I will install all necessary valves, etc so that I can irrigate part of it at a time and do not need a system large enough to handle all at once.

Two questions...Does this plan basically make sense and how big of a pump do I need to install to have enough pressure to carry this.

Stoneman

Post by **Doc** » February 17, 2007, 6:23 pm

Your bigger question might be whether there is enough water in the water table to water that many trees. Will watering that many trees during the dry season ultimately deprive others using the same water table of water for their own use?

Post by **stoneman** » February 17, 2007, 10:19 pm

Doc wrote:Your bigger question might be whether there is enough water in the water table to water that many trees. Will watering that many trees during the dry season ultimately deprive others using the same water table of water for their own use?

Doc...Not really a problem...We are over 5 km from the nearest village that has a deep well...The water level in the well never seems to drop even towards the end of the dry season.

About 5 km up the road, a Japanese company has started a tea farm and they have several deep wells and are sprinkler irrigating about 50 rai...

Post by **treehugger** » February 17, 2007, 10:35 pm

Calculate how much water you require per day (or watering session) and build your static tank to that capacity. The pump is then only required to fill this tank, so can be any capacity as there is really no time limit. The feed from the tank to the trees should be by gravity

Post by **stoneman** » February 18, 2007, 10:13 am

[quote="treehugger"]Calculate how much water you require per day (or watering session) and build your static tank to that capacity. The pump is then only required to fill this tank, so can be any capacity as there is really no time limit. The feed from the tank to the trees should be by gravity

Post by **rickfarang** » February 18, 2007, 10:42 am

There is an excellent irrigation tutorial on the web. The site includes tables and formulas that can answer your questions.

Front page:
http://www.irrigationtutorials.com/

Drip Irrigation Design Guide:
http://www.irrigationtutorials.com/dripguide.htm

Post by **stoneman** » February 18, 2007, 2:23 pm

rickfarang wrote:There is an excellent irrigation tutorial on the web. The site includes tables and formulas that can answer your questions.

Front page:
http://www.irrigationtutorials.com/

Drip Irrigation Design Guide:
http://www.irrigationtutorials.com/dripguide.htm

Rick..

Thanks very much..That is very helpful..Appreciate it

Stoneman

Post by **leterry60614** » February 27, 2007, 8:24 am

Don't water these trees regularly when they are young or you might build up a water dependency. Roots spread horizontally under the ground surface instead of going deep.

Just my .02

Post by **Fred the Farmer** » March 27, 2007, 10:07 am

Stoneman

You can contact ATC supply Co in BKK, they import irrigation equipment and tailor designs, you can email them a map of you farm, and explain to them what you want to do; and they can send all the parts you require direct to your farm. You can call them 02-931-7700 or email support@atc1993.com

Post by **stoneman** » April 4, 2007, 11:07 am

Spent all of last wek on the farm installing my rubber tree irrigation and it is working well...Spent a lot of time and money in Global. Bought a 2200 ltr tank and the largest size Mitsubishi pump and lots of PVC and black plastic pipe.

Hired 4 local guys for 3 days to help me and it is now installed and operational. We now have drip irrigation to 1171 rubber trees and 45 avocado trees. Even the largest pump is not big enough to pump water to all of them at the same time, so we had to set up 3 zones.

Lot of work and expense, but I believe that watering the trees during the dry season will help the growth...

Stoneman

Post by **Fred the Farmer** » April 11, 2007, 3:46 pm

Stone Man

Do you have any idea or accurate data to what yield is likely and possible from rubber tree's?? I believe that about 288 kg/rai is thai average but this average takes in account of older clones. I also have info from thai's currently harvesting RIM660 that say 4-10kg per tree per year that at 80 tree's per rai would be 360-900kg per rai per year?????

When it comes to yield I am never 100% sure Thai's are calculating correctly.

Post by **cookie** » July 5, 2010, 9:22 am

Shortage of seedlings, rising costs of farmers push up rubber prices
By Achara Pongvutitham
The Nation

The price of natural rubber is skyrocketing against the backdrop of a shortage of rubber-tree seedlings, blamed by some on the effects of global warming, and an increase in farmers' costs. Further complicating the picture is a recent drive by farmers to expand rubber-plantation areas to capitalise on the high price.

The price of natural rubber recently hit Bt110 per kilogram: its highest level since the first plantations were launched in Thailand more than 100 years ago. This has created a shortage of rubber seedlings, for which prices have roughly tripled from Bt12-Bt14 to Bt35-Bt50 per tree, depending on quality.

The lucrative rubber price has led many farmers - not just existing rubber growers - to expand their plantation areas or switch crops altogether.

The Natural Rubber Policy Committee recently launched the third phase (2010-2012) of its natural rubber-planting project involving 800,000 rai.

The plan is to be implemented on new plantation areas in the North (150,000 rai), Northeast (500,000 rai), Eastern, Central and Southern (150,000 rai each) regions of Thailand.

"Farmers will have more choice in managing their farms - whether rubber, cassava or sugarcane. Many of them have decided to grow rubber due to the attractive price, and it's a valuable investment as rubber is a long-living tree," said Khunsri Thongyoi, assistant vice president of Charoen Pokphand's Crop Integration Business Group.

However, the problem facing farmers now is the difficulty in purchasing rubber seedlings due a supply shortage blamed on the effects of global warming.

The problem has seen the price of rubber seed grow from Bt5-Bt6 to Bt12-Bt15 per kg.

One major rubber-seedling supplier has stopped taking orders for this year, with its capacity currently running at 10-15 per cent below orders. The price of its cross-bred seedling has increased from Bt35 to Bt50 per tree.

Khunsri said farmers in the Northeast are planning to expand their plantation areas mostly by planting areas that are currently vacant. In addition, they generate extra income by growing cassava between the rows of rubber trees.

"Farmers [are looking to capitalise on] rising prices of both rubber and cassava," said Khunsri, adding that one of his customers has been able to generate income of Bt1 million from his 70-rai rubber plantation. If rainfall is not disrupted, the rubber price should not be lower than Bt100 per kg in the second half this year, according to an international rubber research report, which said the shortage situation is likely to last until 2020.

The effects of global warming, according to some experts, has caused the rubber yield to drop by 60 per cent. Consequently, farmers have had to adjust their methods, tapping the trees for rubber every two to three days, rather than every other day. Farmers' average production has fallen from 1 tonne to 300kg per month.

Luckchai Kittipol, president of the Thai Rubber Association, said the attractive price has lured farmers to expand plantation areas, further boosting demand for rubber seedlings. The seedling price in the South has increased two to three times from Bt12-Bt14 to Bt35-Bt50 per tree.

Lukchai said rubber trading is a lucrative business now, as trades are largely done in cash. In addition, farmers and labourers are both benefiting from the high price.

"All rubber growers are smiling, as they're making a lot of money," he said.

However, Luckchai said, the rubber price could be unsustainable, as it is now unacceptable to manufacturers. So far, the natural rubber price is more than Bt30 per kg higher than that of synthetic rubber.

The Thai Rubber Association forecasts that the price will gradually decline in the second half of this year, with quoted prices seen falling to between Bt80 to Bt100 per kg.

"Too high a price will see a fall in consumption. In addition, if the supply-shortage problem can be resolved, prices will again be subject to the normal market mechanism," said Luckchai.

The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) said in its May report that demand for natural rubber remains strong despite woes and worries clouding expectations for a global economic recovery.

The ANRPC said that demand remains strong in China, India and Malaysia.

Consumption of natural rubber rose during the first four months of the year by 25.5 per cent in China, 11.7 per cent in India and 13.6 per cent in Malaysia. On the supply side, the ANRPC anticipated total supply of natural rubber from its member countries could rise 6.2 per cent this year to 9.4 million tonnes.

The ANRPC's report concluded that a continued supply tightness being felt in the market after the winter off-season is believed to be the key driving force of the current natural rubber market, and that concerns over comfortable availability of natural rubber in the short term have contributed to keeping market sentiment positive.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/20 ... 33042.html

Post by **stoneman** » July 5, 2010, 10:23 am

Just bought 600 rubber trees last week for 35 baht each for the larger size - 600 variety and they had plenty left...

The problem with growing rubber trees by Thai farmers is that they have to wait 7 years before they start getting their money back...You have to fertilize twice a year and fertilizer is about 800 baht /50kg bag...Lots of cost and lots of time...Thais are not good at waiting..Have seen many trees tapped after 5 years and the trees are now ruined...Thai farmers want a quick turn around...Plant it today and harvest it in 6 months or less...like rice or cassava or wait one year at a maximum as in sugar cane...

The 800 trees that I mentioned in the original posting are now producing and the others have been off the irrigation for a year and are developing well..

Stoneman

Post by **cookie** » July 5, 2010, 5:03 pm

happy to hear you are doing good, =D> =D>
especially with prices at it's highest level ever

The price of natural rubber recently hit Bt110 per kilogram: its highest level since the first plantations were launched in Thailand more than 100 years ago. This has created a shortage of rubber seedlings, for which prices have roughly tripled from Bt12-Bt14 to Bt35-Bt50 per tree, depending on quality.

Post by **stoneman** » July 5, 2010, 7:18 pm

Cookie..

Yes prices are high and it is a good sign,,But we still have the same problem that we have faced for years...Getting dependable people to work...Working with rubber is hard work and long hours...It starts in the middle of the night and goes on until the afternoon...Even paying them 40%, it is still hard to find anyone that wants to work every day...Yes, when they need money, they are anxious to work for one or two days...

Stoneman

Post by **cookie** » July 5, 2010, 9:30 pm

stoneman wrote:Cookie..

Yes prices are high and it is a good sign,,But we still have the same problem that we have faced for years...Getting dependable people to work...Working with rubber is hard work and long hours...It starts in the middle of the night and goes on until the afternoon...Even paying them 40%, it is still hard to find anyone that wants to work every day...Yes, when they need money, they are anxious to work for one or two days...

Stoneman

I know exactly what you mean stoneman
that is why we are trying to mechanize as much as possible on the farm.
We are building at the moment a semi automatic tapioca planter
and the plans are ready to built a tapioca harvester.
we try to mechanize as much as possible because we have the same problems you mentioned with our workers...

Post by **Farang1** » July 6, 2010, 8:15 am

Stoneman, you might want to look at driving some pipe into the ground around the trees and letting the water drip down to the roots. That way the water goes direct to the roots rather than trying to soak from the surface. Would help with water conservation with less evaporation.

Post by **Sand Dog** » October 10, 2012, 5:58 pm

I Stumbled across your Blog on Irrigating rubber trees and wanted to see if you are still out there and if you have any additional thoughts, news &/or comments.
I have acquired, with my Thai wife, about 25 rai of land west of Kuchinarai. We planted our first 500 tree on 7 rai in 2007 and they are doing well. We are preparing a watering system to be built/installed in February prior to planting the rest of the land.
The land has a nice gentle slope down to the south east corner that will allow for a gravity irrigation system. We plan on placing a 60 Meter deep well at the North Eats corner with a 20,000 leter concrete storage tank elevated 2 meters
I have two questions.
How much water does each tree need and how often during the dry season do they need to be watered?

Sand Dog

Post by **stoneman** » October 11, 2012, 9:54 am

We used about 3 liters of water for the first year and a little over 4 liters the second year...We watered them every 3rd day....After the second year they do fine on their own...Another thing that we did that really seemed to help...We added 1 liter of 15-15-15 and 1 liter of 46-0-0 fertilizer to 1,000 liters of water....Good luck

Stoneman

Post by **BIGAL** » October 11, 2012, 10:55 am

Honestly, maybe it is just our region, we have 2000 trees, 50% are now 2 years old and 50% are almost 1 year and we have never irrigated? I also have never seen any of my neighbours irrigate? As long as you plant 6 month old trees in May of each year, no problem!