Wind safety of rubber trees in plantations: methodological analysis of bending experiments on inclined standing trees

Abstract

Because of their ability to produce latex for industrial applications, rubber trees are grown intensively in large plantations. Latex is harvested by bleeding off the bark, generating a carbon sink for the tree that impairs its secondary growth and consequently weakens the mechanical resistance of the trunk. In order to study the sensitivity of rubber tree clones to wind breakage, we propose a complete mechanical model that sheds light on the different morphological and mechanical parameters involved in trunk resistance to strong wind events. The model requires experimental data that can be recorded from the structural description of a tree and from non-destructive bending tests performed in situ in plantations. The results provide the list of required parameters and indicate their relative importance for estimating the mechanical behaviour of rubber trees, with a view to comparing clones for breeding purposes.