Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 23 January 2017 launched the Rubber Soil Information System (RubSIS) in New Delhi.
The RubSIS recommends application of an appropriate mix of fertilizers to the specific plantations of rubber growers depending upon their soil nature.
The RubSIS was developed by the Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) in collaboration with three agencies. The agencies are –
1. Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala
2. National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
3. National Remote Sensing Center of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
The RRII is a research and development agency. It works under the Rubber Board.
Features of RubSIS
• The RubSIS brings soil data to the fingerprints of rubber growers and recommends the optimal mix and quantities of chemical fertilizers that his/her holding requires.
• It is a cost effective tool for sustainable and scientific management of rubber growing soils.
• It helps in preventing indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and soil degradation.
• The adoption of RubSIS will result in reduction in the cost of production of rubber, increase in productivity and reduction in environmental pollution.
• In the first stage, the scientific and user friendly online fertiliser recommendation system will serve farmers in Kerala’s Kottayam district. Kottayam is the largest rubber growing district in India.
• The services of RubSIS will be extended to the entire traditional rubber growing region – Kerela and Tamilnadu – by the end of 2017.
About Rubber Board
• The Rubber Board is a statutory body. It was constituted by the Union Government under the Rubber Act , 1947 for the overall development of the rubber industry in the country.
• It works under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Its headquarters is located in Kottayam, Kerala.
• Its chairman is appointed by the Union Government under the Rubber Rules, 1955.
