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Title: REGROWTH AFTER HARVEST OF ONE- AND TWO-YEAR OLD GUAYULE PLANTS

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

Submitted to: Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/16/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Allergies to latex products have become a serious health problem. Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) is a source of hypoallergenic latex. One method of harvesting guayule is to allow regrowth for subsequent harvests, thus eliminating replanting costs and reducing production costs. Data is lacking on the regrowth of new germplasm lines. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate regrowth of three germplasm lines (AZ1, AZ2, and AZ3) and an unreleased breeding line (G7-14) following the harvest of one- and two-year old plants. Lines were transplanted in the spring of 1995 and 1996 at the University of Arizona Maricopa and Marana Agricultural Research Centers. Initial harvests were in the spring of 1997. Lines were monitored monthly for plants with regrowth, plant height, and plant width. All lines had good regrowth, except AZ1. No differences were observed between locations or plant ages for number of plants with regrowth. The greatest differences for plant height and width occurred between locations with no differences between plant ages. Regrowth of plants of AZ1 was smaller than the other lines. These results demonstrate that at least two harvests from a single planting of these new germplasm lines should be possible. Multiple harvests should reduce production costs to the grower.