Highlights of the research findings in this issue are:

• Major NR producing countries are also the major NR exporters even as their domestic markets for finished products are not very large. These countries are increasingly focussing on value addition of NR within their countries and export finished rubber products rather than raw NR. Already rate of export of NR from exporting countries has begun to decrease and rate of internal consumption of NR has increased. This can pose major challenges for Indian rubber industry if it has to continue to depend on large quantities of imported NR. This calls for public investment in India is NR production sector to achieve self-sufficiency in NR production.
• The 1983 hybridization programme of RRII resulted in 11 high yielding clones with heterosis of up to 69 per cent for rubber yield. This included five ortet clones and six hybrids derived from eight parental clones. There are nine latex timber clones among the 11 promising selections.
• Latex ATP concentration had significant positive correlation with rubber yield in polyclonal population grown in the agro-climatic conditions of North Eastern regions of India, once again proving its relevance as an indicator of high yield.
• Cocoa and coffee could be grown as intercrops in mature rubber plantations under tapping without adversely affecting growth and yield of rubber.
• Potential wild Hevea germplasm accessions were identified with good rubber and timber yield and these are incorporated into breeding programme. Accession AC166 has been taken directly to on-farm trial due to the high yield potential of this clone which also had high levels of ATP in its latex.
• The average life cycle yield of RRIM 600 in experimental trials was 1623 kg/ha/year whereas that from small holders fields was 1490 kg/ha/year in Tripura which was higher than the mean estate yield of 1349 kg/ha/year for this clone in the traditional areas.
• Diversification of activities of RPSs to complete farm service providers and transforming them into viable business models are essential for making them functionally effective.
• Thermal stability and kinetics of thermal degradation of natural rubber/layered silicate nanocomposites studies by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the thermal degradation of nanocomposites is a first order kinetic reaction and organically modified clays exhibited the highest thermal stability.
• Challenges in the production and testing of nitrosamine/nitrosatable latex products and variations in test results between laboratories are discussed.