Rubber New Planting in Thailand: Towards the World Affected on Climate Change

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1 Rubber New Planting in Thailand: Towards the World Affected on Climate Change Arak Chantuma Anek kunarasiri Pisamai Chantuma Abstract ARTICLE INFO Article history: Revise: 1 January 2012 Revise: in revise Presentation of 2010 World Rubber Summit and China Rubber Conference, March 2010, Qingdao China. Accepted: 1 June 2012 Availabel online: 8 June 2012 Thailand rubber plantation has gradually shifted from traditional area in the south to the northeast since The planting area has become more significant with the government launch the one million rai or 160,000 hectares planting project. Since 2004, the new rubber planting in the north and northeast had diversified crop variety from sugarcane and cassava. In 2008, Thailand had a total rubber area of 2.67 million hectares. There was mainly in the traditional areas in the east and southern part comprising of percentage and respectively. However new plantation was concentrated in some suitable the North and Northeast. The hetaerae was still small comprising of 3.69 and respectively, whilst a high rate of expansion for new planting in both areas. In 2002, Chachoengsao Rubber Research Center, under Rubber Research Institute, Department of Agriculture conducted a study on Carbon sequestration based on a rubber life cycle of 25 years. The national research revealed that the rate of CO 2 sequestration was metric ton CO 2 per hectare per year. Taking a modest rate of 30 tones CO 2 per hectare per year, estimates lead to an approximate of million tones CO 2 sink by rubber plantation annually by the country. Rubber plantation was also able be advantageous in various aspects such as, (1) there was more sustainable supported reforestation which was able to reduce soil degradation and erosion while also increasing the storage of organic matter and water. (2) It was preventing bush fire as a rubber area is zero burning zone. (3) There was a low labor migrating into the city. (4) It enhanced a soil fertility and more genetic diversification than field crops. (5) Higher CO 2 sequestration from the rubber tree gives a comparative advantage to other forest tree and crop such as Teak, Acacia, Neem, Palm oil and Eucalyptus. An expected increase in production that Thailand is just small amount from the new area in the North and Northeast which will be able to tap from 2011 onwards, it may not achieve the average yield target of metric tonne/ha/year. The yield productivity may change from time to time affected by the climate variables and unexpected seasonal factors of drought and heavy rain. Therefore more study in depth on climate change affecting NR production is required for all part of the Southeast Asian countries.

2 Introduction Prior traditional rubber cultivation of Thailand in the south and the east has gradually migrated to the new areas in the northeast and the northern region. A reason for the farmer is possibly adapting to new source of revenue since there is a challenge to grow other crops. Also a balance of labor has been expending to farming. In addition, growing rubber plantation in the new area would be a safety process to rubber production. There was a feasible area to avoid a serious outbreak of epidemic disease that occurred in traditional area. The prior traditional areas have been replanting the rubber with an oil palm or other crops. Studies by scientists have concluded that there is an increasing risk to global warming and climate change. The main reason is that an inclined of emission rate for greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from human activity. Climate change trends in Thailand for the next years. There will be a decreasing number of cold day weather, an increasing of high temperature hot day. There will be shorter winter season or none at all, replaced by a long summer. The result is change of climate frequently pattern, some year a high amount of rainfall including landslide, some very hot dry drought year or flood. A severe storm strong wind typhoon or cyclone is more often. A positive range number of hot and cold days will switch to adaptation of some variety of different crops production. Insect and disease pathology will spread rapidly. A number of rainfalls will increase every part of Thailand. This may increase or decrease some crops production. Sanitary health of human will be harm with disease outbreak that may spread by insect host carrier obtain suitable more short period life cycle. The Kyoto protocol 1997 the target was agreed to reduce greenhouse gases by 5 percent in year 2012 as compared to year Clean Developments Mechanism (CDM) was a possible programmed to support budget fund for a developing country to exploit clean energy. The rubber plantation may be incorporated to mitigate greenhouse gases by supporting reforestation. Since the reforestation alone was rarely successful in the country. It might be acceptable implement on some of those in future. Material and Methods 1) Data collection planting area, tapping area, yield and components of the country was investigated. 2) Data collection of climate variable affected on potential rubber yield of rubber area zone. 3) Data biomass of research trials and data of process on carbon sequestration of countries growing rubber was collected. Then it was implied to carbon harvested of each country and total carbon sequestration from rubber plantation of the world. Results and Discussion 1. Rubber plantation area Year, 2008, Table 1 rubber area of country was 2.67 million hectare. It was classified into percentage in the north of 3.59, the northeast of central and the East of 11.83, the south of respectively. The country s planting area increased by 8.82 percent from previous year. The north and the northeast had increment rubber in the new area of and percent respectively. The country s tapping area also raised by 2.89 percent. National rubber production also increased by 4.78 percent. An average yield production per hectare increased also increased by 1.83 percent. 41

3 Table 1 Rubber planting area, tapping area of the country, comparison year 2007 to 2008 Location Planting % Tapping % Yield % Average % Zone areas Area(hectare) +/- (hectare) +/- Metric tone +/- Kg./ha +/- North 96, , , ,569 0 Northeast 447, , , , Central, + East 316, , , , South 1,814, ,522, ,644, , Total 2,674, ,819, ,166, , Kg/ha/yr 4,000 Tapped day/year 140 Kg/ha/yr 4,000 mm./year 2,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1, rubber yield(kg/ha/y) tapped day/year year ,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1, rubber yield(kg/ha/y) rainfall(day/year) (mm./y) Year ,800 1,600 1,400 1,200 1, year - year Yield 12 years RRIM600 rainfall and tapping days Figure 1 Performed 12 year rubber yield potential and rainfall in the new area the East of Thailand 2. Affected of climate variable on rubber production in the country There was a case study rubber production in a new area the East Chachoengsao province of Thailand. Figure 1, year 2004 there was low amount of rainfall per year of 1,000 millimeter. The rubber yield declined to 1,500 Kilogram/hectare/year. Whereas a number of tapping was 120 days per year, the rainfall was not lower than other year. Furthermore, the following year 2008 had the highest rainfall almost 2,000 millimeter/year. The rubber yield was 2,100 Kilogram/hectare/year. It was cause by low number of tapping days. In addition the rubber tree was frequently infected by panel disease and Phythoptora spp. leave fall. An expected metric tones per hectare per year rubber yield of the country would not be approachable. The main reason was the climate change. 42

4 3. Carbon sequestration on rubber plantation 3.1 An assessment process on Carbon Sink of rubber plantation It was shown in Figure 2 a relationship between 95 trees rubber girth and total biomass. The biomass equation declared relationship between total dry matter and girth of trees: Y = X , a coefficient of determination , X is girth (cm.) at 1.7m above ground. The biomass of a tree was more depended on girth than tree age. Girth 17.8 cm. age 2.5 years had total biomass 9.0-kilogram/tree dry weights, when girth 94.2 cm. 25 years total biomass was Kilogram/tree. Figure 2 Relationship between girth (cm.) at 1.7 meter above ground and dry weight biomass per tree RRIM 600 age 2-25 years, number of samples equals 95 trees Kg/tree y = x R 2 = Girth at 1.7m(cm.) Partition dry matter weight of trees A partition organ of a tree such as branch trunk, leaf, roots was defined into weight and percentage proportion to total dry weight. Average tree was also defined into group of age and girth of 95 rubber trees in Figure 1. A plant height of tree was exactly increasing on age years from meters. Branches and trunk weight were a major proportion percent of total dry matter weight. The shoot weights included leaf weight. The leaf weight percentage was shown a few portions percentage of total dry weight. Specially, age year leaf were a steady percentage of dry matter weight. Table 2, All root and collar union of a tree was likely stable at about percentage of total dry matter weight. Often, a root weight share was a higher on young tree than an older tree. 43

5 Table 2 Average tree partitions sampling harvest dry biomass RRIM 600 (kg/tree) Age Girth Plant Trunk & Shoot Tap root Lateral Fibrous Leaf All root Total (Year) (cm.) Height Branches Weight & Collar Root Root Weight &Collar Biomass (meter) (%) (kg/tree) (kg/tree) kg/tree (kg/tree) (%) (%) (kg/tree) Amount of Carbon on parts of rubber tree and plantation Amounts of Carbon element and other nutrient elements were measured by auto analyzer equipment belong to faculty of forestry, Kasetsart University. From Table 3 the 45 percentage of Carbon was selected to calculate a mount of Carbon from the tree biomass and littering RRIM 600. Then the amount of Carbon harvested by a rubber plantation was implied in Table 4. The Carbon on dry latex was assessed by 88 percent Carbon by molecular weight. The top soil Carbon derived from 1 foot 2.11 percentage organic matter 28 soils serial of tradition rubber area. Detail was in reference RRIT

6 Table 3 Performed percentage carbon and elements on parts of RRIM 600 Part of rubber Tree % C % N % P % K % Ca % Mg Wood 0-3 meter above ground Bark 0-3 meter above ground wood 9-12 meter above ground Bark 9-12 meter above ground Wood lateral root Bark lateral root Wood tap root Bark tap root Fibrous root Mature stem branch Young stem branch Leaf laminar Petiole leaf Bark fruit Hard fruit wall carpel Seed shell Seed kernel endosperm average Note: Data process Auto analyzer by Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University Table 4 Amount of carbon harvested by a hectare of rubber trees 25 years old Sink Amount C (ton/ha) Tree biomass Leaf and branch littering fall 50.0 Dry rubber latex 28.6 Top soil 49.0 Total Note: stand 400 trees /hectare

7 3.4 An implement potential of carbon sink in a new area A new area in the northeast of Thailand (year 2008) it was possible to evaluated biomass of plantation. There was an immature rubber, tapped 1-5 years, tapped 6-10 years, rubber yield and littering in plantation. It was calculated that the highest growing area of the Northeast Nongkhai province possible to keep Carbon of 2.44 million tones. The following Loei and Udornthani province stocked Carbon of 1.16 and 1.07 million tones, respectively. Then, total the Northeast eventually harvested Carbon of million tone. Ubolrajathani Udornthani Amnartcharern Nongbaulampoo Nongkhai Surin Sakolnakorn Srisaket Loei Roiet yasothorn Mukdaharn Mahasalakarm Buriram C-sequest-metric tone/yr Immature1-6y 50%tapped tree1-5y 50%tapped tree6-10y Litterling1-5y Litterling tapped6-10y Dry rubber Nakornrajsima Nakornphanom Chaiyapkom Konkan Kalasin - 300, , ,000 1,200,000 1,500,000 1,800,000 2,100,000 2,400,000 Figure 3 Carbon sequestrations in the Northeast rubber plantation Carbon sequestration in rubber plantation of the world From meeting of a task work on Potential of Natural Rubber in CDM and Carbon Trading of an International Rubber Research and Development (IRRDB 2009). At Malaysia date 30 th November 2009 the meeting concluded each country was able to keep Carbon metric tones/hectare/year. Data was shown in Table 3. Rubber plantation of Thailand was feasibility to CO 2 sequestration metric tones/hectare /year. From data above if it was taking the modest rate of carbon sequestration of 30 metric tons/hectare/year. Thailand total rubber plantation 2.67 million hectare would have a potential CO 2 harvested by 80 million metric tons per year. If total rubber plantation of the world 10.4 million hectare, it would be that possible CO 2 absorbed will amount to 312 million tons per year. On the other hand that amount was fixed 7.7 percentage of the green house gases emission in the world. A rate of carbon dioxide was currently released to atmosphere 1.9 part per million during year The calculation was 1 ppm = 2127 mt. The 312 mt CO 2 / year equaled ppm/year. That is 0.147/1.9 then x 100 = 7.7, (IRRDB, 2009).

8 Table 3. Traditional rubber cultivated countries assessed biomass C (metric tones per hectare per years), C stored in soil and CO 2 sequestration Country C stored in Biomass C stored in Soil Total C stored Rate of CO 2 sequestration (tc/ha) (tc/ha) (tc/ha) (tco 2 ha/year) Thailand Malaysia India Indonesia Ghana Brazil Range Source: Derived from IRRDB, 2009 Conclusion The current climate change faced by every country should a problem solved together to mitigate a devastating global warming phenomenon. The amount carbon harvest per rubber plantation 25 year cycle was metric tones per hectare. The amount of carbon dioxide sequestration was roughly 30 metric tones per hectare per year. It was estimated that Thailand rubber fixed CO 2 80 million tones per year and the world 312 million tones per year. The littering biomass is also available to organisms under the canopy of the crop system. The biomass wood can also be used as fire wood charcoal and furniture. The dry latex rubber is a natural plastic that is often used in tire rubber industrial. The synthetic plastic is made from petroleum fossil. The emission of green house gases belong to an exploited of Carbon Stock fossil. A tree crop is a machine to absorb as the Carbon Sink. Bibliography RRIT, Affected of rubber plantation on the environment. Progress research and development report of Rubber institute Thailand, Department of Agriculture IRRDB, The effects of climate change on NR cultivation and productivity. International Rubber Research and Development. 30 th November 2009, at Malaysian Rubber Board Building. 47