ASSESSMENT OF TAPPING QUALITY IN RUBBER TREE CULTIVATION IN COTE DIVOIRE: CASE OF YAMOUSSOUKRO, TIASSALE AND ANGUEDEDOU PLANTATIONS

Rubber tree cultivation is booming in Cote dIvoire, making the country rank 1^stin Africa. However, plantations are destroyed prematurely due to poor tapping qualities. In order to improve tapping quality and by extension rubber yield, a study was conducted in Cote dIvoire in the towns of Yamoussoukro, Tiassale and Anguededou. This study was conducted on the basis of a survey on the characteristics of the plantations and the tappers of 23 plantations, followed by a tapping quality check. The results showed that tapping commencement of plantations was later in Yamoussoukro (9.2 years) than in Tiassale (6.7 years) and Anguededou (6.8 years). Furthermore, the Yamoussoukro plantations were younger and smaller (1 to 4 years of latex harvesting and 2 ha on average) compared to those of Tiassale and Anguededou (1 to 12 years of latex harvesting and 10 ha on average). The sociological characteristics of tappers showed that they are only men, most of whom have been trained in tapping techniques (91% of tappers). It appears from this study that tapping quality was poor in Anguededou and good in Tiassale and Yamoussoukro. Finally, the correlation analyses showed that tapping quality was not related to tappers but rather to theirtapping knives. The tappers must therefore use a good tapping knife for tapping and perform the tapping in accordance with established tapping standards.