Kottayam: The Rubber Board has rolled out the Landslide Zonation Map of rubber plantations and the mobile app ‘RUBAC’ for rubber census in the country. Dr K N Raghavan, Executive Director, Rubber Board launched these initiatives in a function held at Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII).
The MOU for the collaborative project of Cardamom Research Institute (ICRI) of Spices Board India, Digital University of Kerala and the Rubber Board for developing digitized soil fertility maps and online fertilizer recommendation for cardamom plantations in the lines of RuBSIS developed for rubber was also shared in the function.
The RRII has successfully delineated rubber plantations into low, medium and high landslide risk categories using satellite-derived maps of the distribution of rubber plantations in the State and the district-wise landslide susceptibility zones developed by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority. Based on this, Board can recommend growers to adopt good agricultural practices at a location according to its vulnerability to landslides as well as cultural operations that should not be undertaken to minimize the impact of landslides. The map is available at https://lsz.rubberboard.org.in
Rubber Board is conducting a nationwide census on rubber to prepare a comprehensive database on rubber plantations and rubber growers with the help of the mobile application. Reliable and timely statistics on new planting, replanting, the actual area under rubber, level of adoption of recommended agro management practices, harvesting practices followed etc. are necessary for implementing rubber related development projects. The mobile app ‘RUBAC’ is developed by the Rubber Board in association with the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management and is expected to reduce the processing time considerably. The rubber census is proposed to be carried out on all rubber growing areas of the country in a phased manner. As the first phase of the programme, the census will start in the Kottayam District of Kerala.
Saji Gopinath, VC, Digital University of Kerala; D Sathiyan IFS, Chairman & Secretary, Spices Board India; Dr M D Jessy, Director (Research); and M J Lizy, Joint Director, Statistics & Planning Department, Rubber Board, were among those present.
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