Source Year: 2000

A short account is given of the efforts of one farmer (Bapak Kanijan) to use his knowledge of the forest environment and of propagation methods for rattan to boost the profitability of his land and rubber garden. Rattans are grown in the middle of alleys in between the rubber plants, which are planted at 4x3 m spacing. Since they are climbers, they are staked at a few years old to prevent damage to the rubber trees. The woody thorns of the rattans can be slashed of with a piece of wood so that rubber tapping is not impeded. The normal problem on smallholdings of pig and deer attacks on the rubber is averted because of the presence of the thorny rattans. The first rattan seeds were collected from the forest, but the seeds are now collected mainly from the farmers own plants, and seedlings raised in his own nursery. Some of the seedlings are now contracted out to be grown, and some are raised for the forestry department.