Abstract
Natural rubber (NR) is currently sourced from a single species Hevea brasiliensis, which is primarily grown in Southeast Asia and Africa. The Taraxacum kok-saghyz (L.E. Rodin) (TK) plant, which grows in temperate climates and has NR in its roots, has been identified as an additional source for NR in the future. A major challenge to TK becoming a crop is direct seeding. This paper presents research on determining strategies for improving establishment of TK through direct seeding. Field trials were conducted in 2014 and 2015 in Ohio on a Wooster silt loam soil (2.4–2.9% OM) using “wild” TK seed. The study evaluated the impacts of different planting dates (April and May), planter types (broadcasting raw seed and drilling pelleted seed), companion crops, and compost mulch strips on plant stands (i.e., visible TK plant/TK seed drop). Results indicated that drilling of pelleted seed to a depth of 0.6 cm into a thin layer (<1.27 cm) of compost mulch after soil temperatures reach 16 °C (mid-May in Northern Ohio) would give the highest stand by the fall harvest season. These studies provide insight into direct seeding of TK and a baseline to use for evaluating future generations of TK.
Highlights
Over the last two decades the demand for natural rubber (NR) has risen dramatically, from 6.8 million metric tons in 2000 to over 12.4 million metric tons in 2016 [1]
The study field was planted with raw seed (Figure 4a) harvested from plants grown from the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Plant Germplasm System seed accessions collected in Kazakhstan in 2008
There were 5 treatment areas: (1) 4 May seeded at 1.91 cm seed spacing without compost; (2) 4 May seeded at 3.81 cm seed spacing without compost; (3) 15 May seeded at 3.81 cm seed spacing with compost; (4) 15 May seeded at 1.91 cm seed spacing with compost; and (5) 15 May seeded at 1.91 cm seed spacing without compost
Summary
Over the last two decades the demand for natural rubber (NR) has risen dramatically, from 6.8 million metric tons in 2000 to over 12.4 million metric tons in 2016 [1]. The world is dependent on a single species, Hevea brasiliensis, for fulfilling its NR demands. With expectations for increased demand for NR and concerns about pathogens that could affect Hevea production, interest in TK as a domestic source of NR, which was first explored in the 1940s, has resurfaced [3]. Many plants can produce a latex compound, only a few have been studied extensively for commercial production. After World War II, which provided the impetus for the initial interest in TK as a source of NR, dependence on Hevea and interest in synthetic rubber took precedence, which led to the seed bank for TK from the 1940s being lost. Research and Development Center (OARDC) at the Ohio State University (OSU) were initiated with seed from plants grown from that wild seed lot
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