Abstract:Rubber productivity depends on genetic and environmental factors. Rainfall especially is very important environmental
resources for rubber growth. However, rainfall may also be a limiting factor for tapping activity. Rain may wash the late latex
dripping, delay tapping or completely cause tapping day loss. An experiment was conducted at Sembawa Research Centre,
Palembang, Indonesia. The treatment consisted of 3 tapping tasks with rain guard and the other 3 tapping task without rain guard.
Observation was made on the effectiveness of rain guard preventing rain disturb and rubber yield. Rain guard was made from
bonnet, and natural gum was used to seal the gap between rain guard and bark of rubber tree. The effectiveness of rain guard was
observed by measuring rain water come into latex cup during the rain. Observation showed that rain guard may reduce the rain
water come into latex cup where water entered into latex cup was only 20% compared with that of control. Also bark become drier
faster with rain guard after the rainfall was ceased. The yield difference between task with rain guard application and control was 7
gram/tree/tapping during the rainy days.