ABSTRACT
The use of plant growth regulators has the same physiological objectives that were present during the early years of the natural rubber industry, when small holders applied mixtures of cowdung and clay to the tapping panels. Since the late 1960s, a high level of success has been achieved in the stimulation of latex flow, and while the development of new plant regulators has played the most important role, changes in tapping systems have occurred at the same time. To understand the purpose of Hevea latex stimulation and the biological effects of plant growth regulators which have been developed since the early 1950s, a description of modern-day tapping techniques and the arrangement of the latex bearing vessels are necessary. Plant growth regulators in the form of synthetic auxins have been used to promote rooting and aid in the establishment of rubber planting materials for more than three decades.
