Sumitomo Rubber studying ‘rubber tree tissue culture' technique

Hyogo, Japan – Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) has entered a partnership with the Khon Kaen University of Thailand to jointly research ‘rubber tree tissue culture' techniques.

The research aims to advance the productivity of natural rubber by studying mechanisms for yield-improvement of rubber trees, said the Japanese group.

Grafting is generally used to propagate rubber tree seedlings, but the process is “significantly affected” by the stock in terms of growth, disease resistance, and other issues.

With the alternative technique, explained SRI, part of the tissue of a rubber tree is specially isolated and cultured in a test tube.

As part of the project, the partners will compare the growth and leaf shapes of rubber tree seedlings derived from tissue culture with those derived from grafting.

The research team will then analyse plant physiological responses chiefly through the measurement of transpiration and evaluating the differences.

“It has been confirmed that the seedlings deriving from tissue culture grow faster than the seedlings deriving from general grafting in the early stage of planting,” said SRI.

The growth difference between the two can vary by up to two years, according to the Japanese group's statement.