Advanced fertiliser management system increases rubber yields, lowers fertiliser use and labour costs, earning a national agricultural technology award in China.
Hainan Rubber, in collaboration with leading agricultural research institutions, has developed an advanced fertiliser management technology that significantly improves natural rubber latex yields while reducing fertiliser consumption and labour costs. The innovation has been recognised with a Second Prize in China’s National Agriculture Technology Extension Achievement Awards (2022–2024), highlighting its contribution to sustainable rubber cultivation.
The project was led by the Hainan State Farms Academy Group with participation from Hainan Rubber, the Rubber Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, and several research and production organisations. Development began in 2014 to address declining soil fertility and inefficient fertiliser use across China’s major rubber-growing regions.
The technology combines soil improvement, targeted fertilisation, organic fertiliser substitution, and controlled-release fertiliser application to optimise nutrient use and enhance plantation productivity. According to Hainan Rubber, the system has increased dry rubber yields by an average of 7.45 kilograms per mu (approximately 111.8 kg per hectare) while reducing fertiliser costs by ¥4.5 per mu and labour costs for fertiliser application by ¥22 per mu.
The fertiliser management system has already been deployed across 942,700 mu (about 62,850 hectares) of rubber plantations in Hainan, Yunnan, and Guangdong provinces. During the past two years alone, it has been implemented on more than 610,000 mu, resulting in an additional 4,263.6 tonnes of dry rubber production. The company estimates the technology has generated approximately ¥55.7 million in additional sales and ¥71.8 million in overall economic benefits.
Beyond increasing latex production, the technology promotes more sustainable plantation management by improving soil fertility and reducing dependence on conventional fertilisers. The integration of controlled-release and organic fertilisers supports efficient nutrient utilisation while helping minimise environmental impacts associated with intensive agricultural practices.
The national award underscores the growing importance of precision nutrient management in the natural rubber industry. As rubber producers seek higher productivity and more sustainable cultivation methods, innovations such as Hainan Rubber’s fertiliser technology are expected to enhance plantation efficiency, improve grower profitability, and support the long-term development of the global natural rubber sector.