GEOSPATIAL MAPPING AND TERRAIN CHARACTERIZATION OF

NATURAL RUBBER PLANTATIONS IN KARNATAKA, MAHARASHTRA AND GOA

USING RESOURCESAT LISS III AND ASTER DEM
B, Pradeep*., James Jacob and R, Krishnakumar
Rubber Research Institute of India, Rubber Board, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India
Kottayam - 686 009, Kerala, India,
(pradeep*, james, kkumar)@rubberboard.org.in

RESULTS & DISCUSSION

INTRODUCTION
Natural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) is a critical industrial raw
material for the rubber goods manufacturing industry. The major
natural rubber (NR) producing countries in the world are Thailand,
Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, India and China.
According to Rubber Board India, natural rubber production in
India during April 2013 to January 2014 was estimated as 7,23,000
tonnes against 8,11,110 tonnes of consumption in the same period.
Natural rubber consumption in India is being increased year by year
due to its increased demand in different sectors particularly in
automobile industries.
Thus demand of NR can be met by increasing area under NR
cultivation by knowing the present extent and identifying agroclimatically suitable areas for its expansion.
Therefore spatial estimation of NR cultivable areas and its accurate
area statistics are significant for formulating policies and
programmes in NR sector.

NDVI profile of natural rubber

Natural rubber has a distinct
spectral signature during FebruaryMarch season (maximum foliage
period)
NR plantations age less than three
years old couldnt be delineated
using LISS III satellite image
because of poor development of NR
canopy
and
mixed
spectral
signature

Fig. 3. NDVI profile of rubber and other

vegetations during different seasons

Overall accuracy of rubber plantation mapping

varied from 82.4 to 88.5 per cent (> three years
old)

NR holdings below three years old

Satellite based NR area statistics

Table 2. Satellite based NR area statistics in comparison with ground survey statistics
for the year 2013

This can be achieved quickly through geospatial technology with

accurate, up to date and reliable information.

OBJECTIVES
To map spatial extent of natural rubber cultivation in Karnataka,
Maharashtra and Goa

Spatial distribution of NR growing areas

To characterize rubber plantation distribution according to

elevation, slope and aspect

Fig. 4. Spatial distribution

of NR plantations in (a)
Karnataka, (b) Sindhudurg
district in Maharashtra and
(c) Goa overlaid over
digital elevation model

STUDY AREA
Karnataka: 74o 28' 27.9" to 77o 38' 35.4" E
7o58'56.2" to 14o 42' 27.4" N
Geographical area: 27542 Sq.Km

(a)

Goa and Sindhudurg district (Maharashtra)

72o 38' 58.7" to 74o 20 16.6" E
14o 53' 57.1" to 20o13' 04.6" N
Geographical area: 3611.5 & 22361.5 Sq. Km

In Karnataka, sixty five per cent of NR

cultivation was from Dakshin Kannada
district followed by Udupi (15 %),
Chikmagalur (8 %), Coorg (7 %) and
Shimoga (5 %) (Fig.5)

METHODOLOGY

Characterization of rubber plantations according to terrain parameters

Hierarchical order of terrain classes in relation to rubber plantation distribution
States
Elevation (m)
Slope (%)
Aspect direction

Natural rubber is a deciduous tree

Defoliation period: Dec-January
Refoliation period: Feb-March

Karnataka
Maharashtra
Goa

100-300 > 0-100

>300
100 -300 > 0-100
>300
0-100>100-300

5-10 > 0-5 >10-15

15-25 > 25-33 > 33
15-25 > 33 > 10-15
25-33 > 5-10 > 0-5
15-25 > 5-10
>10-15 > 0-5

South & North facing

Karnataka

Fig.1. Natural rubber growing districts of

Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa

Fig. 5. District-wise per cent

share of rubber cultivation in
Karnataka

South & North facing

South & North facing

Table 3. Order of ranks of different terrain classes

in relation to rubber plantation distribution

Maharashtra

Major commercial crops: Rubber,

coconut, cashew, arecanut, tea and coffee
Western Ghats: Eastern side
Elevation range: 4 to 1872 m above MSL

(c)

(b)

Natural rubber acreage is significant

for policy management and planning
programmes of natural rubber
production in India time to time.

Mature NR holding

Ground truth
GPS GARMIN Oregon 550
Collected 674 ground control points

Table 1.Details of satellite data used

Goa

CONCLUSION

Fig. 6. Per cent distribution of rubber plantations

according to elevation, slope and aspect

Geospatial technology is a tool par excellence to get reliable NR area

statistics with less man power input and faster than conventional extensive
survey method.

Fig. 2. Methodology flow chart of rubber

plantation mapping and terrain characterization
National Symposium on Geomatics for digital India, Indian Society of Geomatics & Indian Society of Remote Sensing, December 16-18, 2015, Jaipur, Rajasthan

Geospatial database of the present study (terrain characterization in relation to

rubber plantation distribution) can be used as baseline data for planning
sustainable NR cultivation in the study area.