Paraquat, vegetable oils, copper and other elements as stimulants of latex production

Abstract

For the conditions where rubber is extracted from wild trees in the Amazon Region a cheaper and locally more easily obtainable latex yield stimulant is needed. A study to meet this need was performed in four experiments which showed that paraquat has a reazonable stimulating effect but must be discarded if applied under the current technique of application, due to serious damage to the regenerating bark. Based on the suggestion that unsaturated fatty acids may serve as substrate for ethylene synthesis, linseed oil, rubber seed oil and oil extracted from seeds of Carapa guyanensis (andiroba) were tested both "in natura" or mixed to copper or other elements. The small yield increase as compared to pure oils doesn't compensate for the inconveniences of mixing mineral salts to the oil. Responses ranging from 50% to 80% yield increase were obtained with the simple application of vegetable oils only. This is considered to be very convenient for the extraction of wild rubber.