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Title: GENOTYPE AND ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS ON GUAYULE (PARTHENIUM AGENTATUM) LATEX AND GROWTH

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

Submitted to: Industrial Crops and Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/14/2004
Publication Date: 7/1/2005
Citation: Coffelt, T.A., Ray, D.T., Nakayama, F.S., Dierig, D.A. 2005. Genotype and environment effects on guayule (parthenium agentatum)latex and growth. Industrial Crops and Products. 22(1):95-99.

Interpretive Summary: Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) is the best potential source of hypoallergenic latex to replace latex products from the Hevea (Hevea brasiliensis) plant, which causes Type I allergies. However, information on the effects of environment on latex content and growth of newly released germplasm lines is not available. This knowledge is needed to enhance guayule breeding efforts. Results from this three year study showed that environment, line, and plant age were generally significant and the interactions among these factors not significant for latex content and plant growth. Environment accounted for over 50 % of the variability observed, followed by plant age (16 %) and line (10 %). These results point to the tremendous impact of environment on guayule plant growth, fresh plant biomass, and latex content. The lack of significant interactions means that results should be comparable between environments, but for maximum production growers and industry may want to select specific environments to produce the crop commercially.

Technical Abstract: Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) is the best potential source of hypoallergenic latex to replace latex products from the Hevea (Hevea brasiliensis) plant, which causes Type I allergies. However, information on the effects of environment on latex content and growth of newly released germplasm lines is not available. This knowledge is needed to enhance guayule breeding efforts. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the genotype, environment, and genotype x environment effects on latex content and plant growth of guayule. Four lines were planted in the field at Maricopa, Arizona, USA on 6 April 1995 and 6 March 1996 and at Marana, Arizona, USA on 11 April 1995 and 12 June 1996. Plant height and width measurements were made in the spring of 1997 and latex content and biomass determined in the springs of 1997 and 1998. The main factors of location, line, and plant age were generally significant and the interactions not significant for all traits measured. Environment accounted for over 50 % of the variability observed in all traits, followed by plant age (16 %) and line (10 %). These results point to the tremendous impact of environment on guayule plant growth, biomass, and latex content. The generally nonsignificant interactions may have been significant if a larger or wider germplasm base could have been evaluated. Additional studies are needed to determine the environmental factor responsible for the large environmental response noted in this study. We could not determine from these tests whether temperature, soil type, moisture, fertility, or a combination of these or other environmental factors were responsible for this response.