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Title: PERFORMANCE OF TWO-YEAR OLD GUAYULE LINES

Author
item Coffelt, Terry
item RAY, DENNIS - UNIV OF ARIZONA
item Dierig, David
item Nakayama, Francis

Submitted to: Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/30/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Latex allergies in the U.S. have become a serious health problem for health care workers and patients who undergo multiple surgeries. Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) is a source of hypoallergenic latex. Higher yielding, faster growing, and easier to establish lines are needed for guayule to be successful as a new crop. The objective of this study was to evaluate the survival rate and plant growth of 28 guayule lines. The lines were transplanted at the Maricopa Agricultural Center, Maricopa, Arizona, on 6 April 1995 in 1m rows with 36 cm between 2 plants. Survival rate and plant height were determined at 1 and 2 years and plant width 2 years after transplanting. Latex content was determined on 7 selected lines 2 years after transplanting. One and two years after transplanting, G7-14, P10-4, G7-15, P3-11, N7-11 and 11591 had the highest survival rates. One year after transplanting G7- 14 and G7-15 were significantly taller than the other lines. However, 2 years after transplanting 11591 was the tallest line, but not significantly taller than G7-14, N9-4, G7-15, or N7-2. The 10 widest lines in descending order were N9-4, 11591, G7-14, N7-2, G7-11, G7-15, N565, O16-1, N13-1 and N9-3. The lines that increased in plant height the most the second year were 11591, N9-4, O16-1, N7-2, N9-3, N13-1, and N565. All lines had a plant height to width ratio greater than one at 2 years, except N565 which had a significantly lower plant height to width ratio of .96. Preliminary data from latex analyses indicate significant differences among lines but not between plant age groups. Results from these studies indicate that the plant size, survival rate, and latex content of guayule can be increased by selection of improved lines.