3.1. Crop management: labour and inputs
When the hevea was grown as a monocrop, the labour at planting
time and until year 3 was higher because of the added labour
required for planting and maintenance of both the hevea and the
Pueraria used as a cover crop (95–113WD ha−1 year−1), with the
result that total labour was higher than the planting and maintenance
of the hevea with under strata tree crops (Fig. 2). During
years 4 and year 5, little labour was required for weeding. Then,
from year 6 onward, once latex harvesting started, a large number
of workers was required for tapping and harvesting the latex
(90WD ha−1 year−1). Latex harvesting could represent up to 80%