Two concerns of rubber farmers are the development of latex harvesting technologies to improve the
production potential of the trees and the availability and cost of labour for tapping. To achieve this, some rubber
farmers opt for over-harvesting the trees. This way of doing things disturbs the physiological balance of the rubber
trees, which leads to the increase of tapping Panel dryness (TPD) and rather to the fall of the production. To solve
this problem, the present study proposes to define one or more latex harvesting technologies by metabolic class
allowing the improvement of plantation yield and the increase of the economic life of the trees. To achieve this, the
clones IRCA 111, IRCA 130 and PB 260 from the active metabolic class, GT 1, RRIC 100 and BPM 24 from the
moderate metabolic class; PB 217 and PR 107 from the slow metabolic class were used as plant material. Results
showed that clones in the slow metabolism class were less susceptible to TPD and performed better in intense latex
harvest than those in the active and moderate metabolism classes. Regardless of metabolic class, the reduction in
tapping frequency had no negative effect on the vegetative state of the trees. Instead, the reduction in tapping
frequency was compensated by a large number of annual stimulations, which resulted in high dry rubber production.
Analysis of dry rubber production, rubber tree radial growth and TPD rate indicates that the metabolically active
class clones performed better with the S/2 d3 6d/7 ET2 latex harvesting technologies. 5% Pa1(1) 4/y; S/2 d4 6d/7
ET2.5% Pa1(1) 4/y; S/2 d5 6d/7 ET2.5% Pa1(1) 8/y and S/2 d6 6d/7 ET2.5% Pa1(1) 10/y. Those of the moderate
metabolism class are with the motifs S/2 d3 6d/7 ET2.5% Pa1(1) 6/y; S/2 d4 6d/7 ET2.5% Pa1(1) 6/y and S/2 d5
6d/7 ET2.5% Pa1(1) 10/y. For the slow metabolism class clones, the following latex harvesting technologies were
recommended: S/2 d3 6d/7 ET2.5% Pa1(1) 8/y; S/2 d4 6d/7 ET2.5% Pa1(1) 12/y and S/2 d6 6d/7 ET2.5% Pa1(1)
18/y