The Experts below are selected from a list of 711 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform

Katrina Cornish - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • future trends for the analysis of guayulins in Guayule parthenium argentatum gray resins
    Industrial Crops and Products, 2021
    Co-Authors: Juana Rozalen, Katrina Cornish, Manuel Carmona, Mercedes M Garcia, Amaya Zalacain, Horacio Lopezcorcoles, Jorge Mendoza
    Abstract:

    Abstract Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) is a promising alternative and renewable source of natural rubber/latex. There is a general acceptance that to successfully industrialize the cultivation of Guayule, it will be necessary to valorize all of its co-products, including resins, which can reach 16 % of weight of dry matter. Guayule resins have been reported to have antifungal, insect antifeedant and wood protector activities, although it remains to be clearly established which compounds are responsible for such actions. Here, we focus on a terpene family present in Guayule resin that is a candidate for these activities, the sesquiterpenes, which are present in significant amounts (10–15 %). We studies the versatility of the most common analytical method used in their analysis, HPLC-UV, with mass spectrometry techniques including LC–MS, ESI-TOF and MALDI-TOF to address the following objectives: 1) to explore whether there are other members of the guayulins family, 2) to determine the applicability of new methods based on mass spectrometry, and 3) to establish the relationship between the four known major guayulins in the seasonal changes described by other authors. Our results have allowed us to: tentatively identify a new member of this family and to suggest the existence of others; propose changes to the chromatographic approaches currently used; extend the use of mass spectrometry (direct identification and monitoring of purification of guayulins); and finally, demonstrate that the content of guayulins A and B decreases at the start of winter when the most active period of natural rubber biosynthesis begins.

  • potential applications of guayulins to improve feasibility of Guayule cultivation
    Agronomy, 2019
    Co-Authors: Francisco M Jara, Katrina Cornish, Manuel Carmona
    Abstract:

    Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) is an interesting alternative and renewable source of rubber/latex which has been used in the past. Guayule rubber and latex products are not available in the market largely because the raw material cost is higher than the current sources produced in South-East Asia and other tropical countries (Hevea brasiliensis). Guayule contains many other compounds whose joint exploitation could make Guayule cultivation profitable, especially in semi-desert areas where cultivation of other crops is difficult or impossible. Guayulins A–D, sesquiterpene esters, appear to have some commercial promise. Despite being accumulated in relatively high concentrations (its majority representative, guayulin A, can account for up to 13.7% of the resin content of this plant, which itself ranges from 6%–12%), guayulins have received little direct attention from scientists. This review presents the current knowledge about the activity of these compounds and, based on known activities of similar compounds from other species, potential uses as fungicides, miticides and insecticides are suggested.

  • rapid and complete removal of Guayule parthenium argentatum leaves by cryodefoliation and freeze and thaw induction of rubber particle coagulation
    Industrial Crops and Products, 2018
    Co-Authors: Griffin M Bates, Katrina Cornish
    Abstract:

    Abstract Production of natural rubber (NR), a vital natural resource for modern economies, currently is completely dependent upon tropical cultivation of the Para rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis, Mull. Arg). One promising source of alternative rubber is Guayule (Parthenium argentatum, Gray), which is currently being developed as an alternative source of NR. Guayule rubber accumulates as rubber particles in bark parenchyma and can be extracted in the form of latex by homogenizing the bark and then separating the latex from the non-latex components by centrifugation. Latex separation and purification processes are significantly hindered by fine solids from the co-homogenized leaves. Therefore, complete removal of leaves before homogenization is highly desired. However, Guayule leaves do not naturally abscise and chemical defoliants cannot be utilized since these dehydrate the shrub and coagulate the latex, and physical leaf removal processes are tedious or inefficient. We demonstrate that liquid nitrogen can be used to embrittle the leaves without freezing the bark parenchyma, completely removing the leaves with a single physical blow, and then the defoliated branches can be homogenized with no loss of latex-containing bark and no leaf contamination. Under longer freezing times, rubber coagulation occurred in partially frozen tissue and during slow thawing. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the rubber coagulation, which occurs when Guayule branches are frozen through and thawed before homogenization, can be avoided by rapid homogenization of the flash frozen branches in ambient temperature aqueous extraction buffer.

  • strain induced crystallization behaviour of natural rubbers from Guayule and rubber dandelion revealed by simultaneous time resolved waxd tensile measurements indispensable function for sustainable resources
    RSC Advances, 2016
    Co-Authors: Yuko Ikeda, Preeyanuch Junkong, Takumi Ohashi, Treethip Phakkeeree, Yuta Sakaki, Atitaya Tohsan, Shinzo Kohjiya, Katrina Cornish
    Abstract:

    Because strain-induced crystallization (SIC) behaviour is the key for predicting the performance of alternatives to Hevea natural rubber, characteristics of the SIC of sulfur crosslinked Guayule and dandelion natural rubbers were investigated using quick in situ simultaneous synchrotron time-resolved wide-angle X-ray diffraction/tensile measurements, for the first time. The SIC of sulfur crosslinked Hevea natural rubber was also evaluated for comparison. The SIC phenomena were clearly observed when Guayule and dandelion natural rubbers were purified using acetone, then crosslinked with sulfur and subjected to strain. Guayule natural rubber showed a superior SIC upon high stretching to Hevea natural rubber, whereas dandelion natural rubber had a similar SIC to Hevea. The crosslinked Guayule natural rubber had larger oriented amorphous components and larger crystallite sizes parallel to the stretching direction than the crosslinked dandelion and Hevea natural rubbers. These characteristic features resulted in larger crystallite volumes and lower orientation fluctuations of the crystallites in Guayule natural rubber than in the others. It was speculated that the differences were because of their macromolecular structures and the amounts of non-rubber components in their matrixes. However, the SIC results clearly support the fact that both Guayule and dandelion natural rubbers are the real alternatives to Hevea natural rubber.

  • protein influences on Guayule and hevea natural rubber sol and gel
    Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2015
    Co-Authors: Colleen M. Mcmahan, David Kostyal, Dhondup Lhamo, Katrina Cornish
    Abstract:

    Guayule (Parthenium argentatum) is under cultivation in the southwestern United States as an alternative source of natural rubber free from proteins that cause Type I latex allergies. However, since Guayule lacks the protein-polymer interactions present in Hevea latex, its physical and chemical properties may differ. The solvent-soluble (Sol) and insoluble (Gel) fractions from Guayule and Hevea natural rubbers were isolated through a solubilization/centrifugation deproteinization process. Protein could be reduced or removed by centrifugation, or concentrated in the gel fraction for both Hevea and Guayule rubber. Separation of the sol fraction of Hevea rubber reduced the overall protein level, in some cases to below detection limits, without impacting rubber thermo-oxidative stability. Notably, no detectable cross reactions took place between Guayule protein antibodies and Hevea-based materials, nor vice-versa. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42051.

T A Coffelt - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • phenotypic variations heritability and correlations in dry biomass rubber and resin production among Guayule improved germplasm lines
    Industrial Crops and Products, 2018
    Co-Authors: Hussein Abdelhaleem, Dennis T Ray, M A Foster, T A Coffelt
    Abstract:

    Abstract Gauyaule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) originated in the Southern Texas and Northern Mexico deserts, which suggests it as a good candidate for arid and semi-arid sustainable agricultural systems to produce natural rubber and other industrial byproducts. Continued improvement of Guayule for higher biomass, rubber and resin production, and high resistance to environmental stresses, are required and necessary to meet the growing demand of Guayule industry. The current study was conducted to evaluate the phenotypic variations in dry biomass, and rubber and resin content and production in nine improved Guayule germplasm. The gentypes were grown in six environments and were harvested at one, two, and three years old. Results indicated that these germplasm has a good genetic variability at different growth stages in biomass rubber and resin production. The widest phenotypic variations were observed in plants harvested two year after transplanting. Significant genotypic by environmental interactions of these traits, suggest that evaluating Guayule germplasm in multiple environments in order to select lines with the desired level of these traits is required. High heritability estimates of these traits suggest that selection is feasible in the first three years in general, and the highest after two years of transplanting, were plants reached maximum growth homogeneity with low competition among plants in the growing area. Positive correlation coefficients among these traits suggest the possibility of selection for more than one trait at a time, which could reduce Guayule developing time and efforts to meet different industrial demands such as rubber and byproducts in the breeding programs.

  • a century of Guayule comprehensive genetic characterization of the us national Guayule parthenium argentatum a gray germplasm collection
    Industrial Crops and Products, 2017
    Co-Authors: Daniel C Ilut, T A Coffelt, Paul L Sanchez, John M Dyer, Matthew A Jenks, Michael A Gore
    Abstract:

    The fragility of a single-source, geographically concentrated supply of natural rubber, a critical material of the modern economy, has brought Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) to the forefront as an alternative source of natural rubber. The improvement of Guayule for commercial-scale production has been limited by the lack of genomic tools and well-characterized genetic resources required for genomics-assisted breeding. To address this issue, we developed nearly 50,000 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genetic markers and genotyped 69 accessions of Guayule and its sister taxa mariola (Parthenium incanum Kunth), representing the entire publically available US national germplasm collection. We identified multiple interspecific hybrid accessions previously considered Guayule, including five Guayule-mariola hybrids and non-mariola interspecific hybrid accessions AZ-2 and AZ-3, two commonly used high-yielding cultivars. We dissected patterns of genetic diversity within the collection to identify a highly diverse subset of Guayule accessions, and showed that wild Guayule stands in Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA have the potential to provide hitherto untapped Guayule genetic diversity. Together, these results provide the most thorough genetic characterization of Guayule germplasm to date and lay the foundation for rapid genetic improvement of commercial Guayule germplasm.

  • a century of Guayule comprehensive genetic characterization of the Guayule parthenium argentatum a gray usda germplasm collection
    Unknown Journal, 2017
    Co-Authors: Daniel C Ilut, T A Coffelt, Paul L Sanchez, John M Dyer, Matthew A Jenks, Michael A Gore
    Abstract:

    The fragility of a single-source, geographically concentrated supply of natural rubber, a critical material of the modern economy, has brought Guayule ( Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) to the forefront as an alternative source of natural rubber. The improvement of Guayule for commercial-scale production has been limited by the lack of genomic tools and well-characterized genetic resources required for genomics-assisted breeding. To address this issue, we developed nearly 50,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genetic markers and genotyped 69 accessions of Guayule and its sister taxa mariola ( Parthenium incanum Kunth), representing the entire available NALPGRU germplasm collection. We identified multiple interspecific hybrid accessions previously considered Guayule, including six Guayule-mariola hybrids and non-mariola interspecific hybrid accessions AZ-2 and AZ-3, two commonly used high-yielding cultivars. We dissected genetic diversity within the collection to identify a highly diverse subset of Guayule accessions, and showed that wild Guayule stands in Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA have the potential to provide hitherto untapped Guayule genetic diversity. Together, these results provide the most thorough genetic characterization of Guayule germplasm to date and lay the foundation for rapid genetic improvement of commercial Guayule germplasm.

  • genomic diversity and phylogenetic relationships in the genus parthenium asteraceae
    Industrial Crops and Products, 2015
    Co-Authors: Daniel C Ilut, T A Coffelt, Paul L Sanchez, Denise E Costich, Bernd Friebe, John M Dyer, Matthew A Jenks, Michael A Gore
    Abstract:

    Abstract Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) is a perennial woody shrub native to the North American Chihuahuan Desert that holds promise as a sustainable source of natural rubber and hypoallergenic latex. The improvement of Guayule for commercial-scale production could be accelerated through genomics-assisted breeding, but such a strategy is severely limited by the paucity of available genomic tools and well-characterized genetic resources. To that end, we used genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to simultaneously identify and genotype tens of thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers across 62 plant samples from seven wild and cultivated Guayule, three Parthenium interspecific hybrid, four mariola (Parthenium incanum Kunth), and one wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium L.) accession(s) that have been characterized for ploidy level and nuclear genome size in this and a prior study. Phylogenetic analysis using the SNP data identified at least two distinct sources of Guayule breeding material in the cultivated accessions, previously unknown multi-species hybrids within two Parthenium hybrid cultivars, and Guayule/mariola hybrids within one Guayule and one mariola wild collected accession. Similar to previously reported results for Guayule and mariola, we observed aneuploidy and multiple ploidy levels among individual plants (mixed ploidy) within three Parthenium interspecific hybrid accessions newly characterized in this study. Nuclear genome size characterization of wild quinine, a first for this species, found an estimated haploid nuclear genome size (5757 Mb) for the tetraploid (2n = 4x = 72) accession that was more than 1.5-fold larger than that of tetraploid (2n = 4x = 72) Guayule or mariola. Together, these results further underscore the need for a comprehensive characterization of available Guayule germplasm and sister taxa with both SNP markers and flow cytometry, illustrate the novel utility of GBS for the genus Parthenium, and lay the foundation for genomics-assisted breeding in Guayule.

  • 100 years of breeding Guayule
    2015
    Co-Authors: T A Coffelt, Dennis T Ray, David A Dierig
    Abstract:

    Guayule has been known for 100 years as a potential source of natural rubber. Breeding efforts have been sporadic limiting progress in Guayule breeding compared to other crops. Even though the genetic base appears to be rather narrow, it has not hindered Guayule breeding programs. The most extensively employed breeding approach has been single-plant selections. The primary objective for Guayule breeding programs has been increased rubber yield. Limited studies utilizing biotechnology, chemical, molecular, or other new methods of improvement have been conducted in Guayule. Most have involved trying to understand the rubber synthesis pathway or to modify the rubber biosynthesis pathway through genetic engineering. While these previous attempts to increase rubber yields have met with little or limited success, the studies have shown that Guayule can be successfully transformed. It might be more effective in the short term to use biotechnology to insert genes for other potentially useful traits such as herbicide tolerance and insect resistance. For future progress in Guayule breeding to be made, much work remains to be done.

Amy E. Landis - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • integrated techno economic and environmental analysis of Guayule rubber production
    Journal of Cleaner Production, 2020
    Co-Authors: Evan Sproul, Amy E. Landis, Hailey M Summers, Clark Seavert, Joram Robbs, Sita Khanal, Vee Ander Mealing, Neng Fan, Ou Sun, Jason C Quinn
    Abstract:

    Abstract Persistent drought poses a significant risk to farmers in the southwest United States. Adopting drought tolerant crops that yield high value products will help mitigate this risk. One potential crop is Guayule, which is known for its high natural rubber content. In this work, a process model was created to quantify all materials and energy required to cultivate, harvest, transport, and extract Guayule rubber and co-products. This process model was used to enable the first concurrent techno-economic and environmental analysis of Guayule. The techno-economic and environmental results include two scenarios: 1) a baseline scenario in which bagasse and resin are sold at predefined values and 2) an on-site heat and power scenario in which bagasse is combusted to generate heat and electricity. The result of the techno-economic analysis for the baseline scenario was a minimum rubber selling price of $3.08 per kg, with co-products of resin and bagasse being sold at $1.00 and $0.10 per kg, respectively. Baseline environmental results show that the largest impacts come from the use of fertilizers in agriculture and natural gas in the rubber extraction facility. The on-site heat and power analysis found an increased minimum rubber selling price of $4.07 per kg, but also a 61% decrease in global warming emissions. Discussion focuses on leveraging results to further the development of Guayule by identifying high impact areas where future research may simultaneously reduce costs and environmental impacts.

  • Pathway to domestic natural rubber production: a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment of the first Guayule automobile tire manufactured in the United States
    The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2018
    Co-Authors: Pragnya L Eranki, Amy E. Landis
    Abstract:

    Guayule (Parthenium argentatum) is a perennial shrub that can be cultivated in the Southwestern US. It produces natural rubber that could be a viable substitute for Hevea natural rubber and synthetic rubbers currently used in tires. Drivers for producing domestic Guayule rubber include fluctuations in price and availability of imported Hevea rubber. A tire was manufactured in 2017 where Guayule rubber was substituted for all of the Hevea and synthetic rubber in the conventional tire. Life cycle assessment (LCA) from cradle to grave was used to evaluate the environmental and energy sustainability of the Guayule tire, and these metrics were benchmarked against those of the conventional tire (CT). Functional units of 1 kg natural rubber for agricultural processes, as well as 1 tire for the cradle-to-grave study were considered. Life cycle inventory (LCI) data were collected directly from primary sources, including Guayule field experiments, a rubber-processing company, and a major tire manufacturer. Scenario analysis was used to evaluate alternative processes, such as irrigation options in Guayule cultivation, processing scale in rubber extraction, and selection of allocation methodology in LCAs. Model uncertainty was characterized using Monte Carlo analysis. The LC energy consumption of the Guayule tire (GT) was 13.7 GJ/tire (including co-product credits, excluding C sequestration during agriculture), compared to 16.4 GJ/tire for the CT. The GT had 6–30% lower emissions than CT in ten different environmental impact categories. Bagasse co-product in energy applications showed benefits of reducing energy consumption by 10% and decreasing environmental impacts by up to 11%. GT’s use-phase resulted in the highest energy consumption (95%) and environmental impacts ranging between 81 and 99%. Variables in use phase, i.e., rolling resistance coefficient, vehicle efficiency, and tire lifetime, and those in Guayule cultivation i.e., rubber and biomass yields, were key model parameters. The effect of excluded but potentially important model parameters, i.e., Guayule carbon sequestration and resin co-product were tested via sensitivity analyses. Based on these results that factored in the lower rolling resistance coefficient of a Guayule tire—a significant element that improves the fuel economy of an automobile—the Guayule rubber tire shows promise in its ability to replace current conventional tires. The first commercially manufactured Guayule rubber passenger tire will most likely substitute components, which are either partially or fully Guayule, instead of Guayule replacing 100% of the existing rubbers as shown in this study.

  • Guayule as an alternative source of natural rubber a comparative life cycle assessment with hevea and synthetic rubber
    Journal of Cleaner Production, 2017
    Co-Authors: Pragnya L Eranki, Daina Rasutis, Kullapa Soratana, Habib Azarabadi, Amy E. Landis
    Abstract:

    Abstract A comparative cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) including raw material acquisitions, rubber production and transportation of synthetic rubber (SBR) and two natural rubbers, namely imported Hevea and US-grown Guayule, was conducted to quantify environmental impacts and to identify area(s) of environmental improvement. The use of co-products from the two natural rubbers as a source of energy was explored for their impacts and energy offset potential. Three environmental impact categories-ozone depletion (ODP), global warming (GWP), and acidification potential (AP)-and net energy were evaluated. Results indicated that Guayule rubber had a lower ODP impact compared to SBR, and lower GWP and AP impacts compared to Hevea rubber. The Hevea rubber production with biodiesel co-product from seed oil scenario had the highest GWP and AP impacts, whereas Guayule rubber production with bio-oil co-product from bagasse had the highest ODP impact. Only the scenario of Hevea rubber production with biodiesel production indicated an overall energy production of 3.25 MJ/kg rubber, whereas all other scenarios indicated a net energy consumption. However, co-products contributed to reduction in total energy consumed in every scenario that was investigated. The most promising Guayule rubber scenario among the six examined was that with electricity production from bagasse, as it contributed the least to all three impact categories and yielded the most net energy. Sensitivity analysis on this most promising Guayule scenario indicated rubber yield, water use and electricity for water pumping in Guayule irrigation as the key parameters that have significant impacts on results.

  • a comparative life cycle assessment of flood and drip irrigation for Guayule rubber production using experimental field data
    Industrial Crops and Products, 2017
    Co-Authors: Pragnya L Eranki, D Elshikha, D J Hunsake, K F Onso, Amy E. Landis
    Abstract:

    Guayule (Parthenium argentatum) is a woody, perennial desert shrub, native to the arid American Southwest. It produces natural rubber that can be used to replace Hevea natural rubber for U.S. domestic rubber demands. Irrigation water application and practices form an important component of its agricultural cultivation process. A comparative gate-to-gate lifecycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to examine two different irrigation practices in Guayule rubber production-blocked furrow irrigation (denoted as flood) and sub-surface drip irrigation (SDI, denoted as drip). In flood irrigation, furrows are used to convey water flooded from one end of the field. In drip irrigation, the plant is irrigated more frequently with lighter amounts using drip tapes buried beneath crop rows. All relevant field data to conduct the LCA were obtained from experimental plots in Maricopa, AZ. This study, the first of its kind for Guayule, compares the metrics of energy consumption, lifecycle environmental impacts and irrigation water productivity. Drip irrigation showed a more efficient use of the applied water by generating higher rubber (46%) and bagasse (dry matter) yields (49%) compared to flood irrigation. Percent change calculations (with drip irrigation as the reference), showed that as a result of greater efficiency of water application in the drip irrigation system, it has between close-to-equal to 51% lower environmental impacts in various categories (with 23% lower impacts averaged over all impact categories). On the other hand, drip irrigation showed 13% higher energy consumption than flood because of the additional burdens of water pumping. Whereas water application was the foremost contributor to impact burdens in both flood and drip irrigations, the additional burdens of water pumping and sulfuric acid use for maintaining blockage-free drip tape were also noteworthy in the drip system. Experimental field operations were the central contributor to energy consumption in both irrigation methods. By separating a crucial stage of Guayule production, namely irrigation, connections emerge between various key parameters in the two irrigation methods; accordingly, the outcomes from the evaluation of these two irrigation systems can assist with decision-making in the lifecycle framework of Guayule rubber production.

  • a sustainability review of domestic rubber from the Guayule plant
    Industrial Crops and Products, 2015
    Co-Authors: Daina Rasutis, Colleen M. Mcmahan, Kullapa Soratana, Amy E. Landis
    Abstract:

    Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) is an arid-adapted, low-input perennial shrub native to Mexico and southern Texas that has received considerable attention as an alternative source of natural rubber. It has potential to replace the most common types of rubbers, including synthetic rubber derived from petroleum and natural rubber, which is tapped from Hevea (Hevea brasiliensis) trees grown in tropical regions, primarily Southeast Asia. The Guayule plant produces natural rubber in its bark parenchyma cells and the shrub is processed to extract the latex. Guayule rubber is comparable in quality to Hevea natural rubber and the residual, non-latex Guayule plant material can be transformed into valuable co-products, such as bioenergy. This review introduces the reader to Guayule rubber production (agriculture, processing and products) and explores the sustainability implications of Guayule rubber commercialization related to the three pillars of sustainability, including environmental impacts of rubber production, economic barriers and advantages, and social implications. The review highlights areas of focus that could be leveraged to help Guayule become a more sustainable source of natural rubber. Guayule rubber provides an opportunity to lower the environmental impacts of a major commodity, to develop an industry to support the local U.S, economy, and to reduce U.S. dependence on non-renewable petroleum sources and rubber imports. Proposed recommendations to further support Guayule sustainability include improving the efficiency of agricultural and processing activities, utilization of Guayule co-products to improve economics of Guayule cultivation, and the establishment of a secure Guayule rubber supply at a production level that could consistently meet rubber demands. A better understanding of Guayule rubber life-cycle impacts could be a way to reduce the environmental footprint of Guayule rubber products and expedite its commercialization.

Colleen M. Mcmahan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Guayule is an industrial crop that can be grown for its natural rubber production and phytoremediation capability in the western san joaquin valley california
    Current Plant Biology, 2021
    Co-Authors: Dante F Placido, Colleen M. Mcmahan, Claire Heinitz, Gary S Banuelos
    Abstract:

    Abstract This study evaluated the growth characteristics of six Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) accessions irrigated with waters high in boron, selenium, and calcium, and sodium salts under greenhouse conditions. The synthetic irrigation waters used in this investigation mimic the water quality used frequently for irrigation in the westside of the San Joaquin Valley, California, U.S.A. Guayule is a natural rubber-producing industrial crop that is tolerant of marginal soils and drought, and it may be grown as an alternative crop with poor quality waters for this region. Among the six accessions investigated for 55 days, three of them showed increased natural rubber concentration when grown under saline irrigation conditions compared to a non-saline irrigation (control). Elemental analysis in the leaves revealed that Guayule can also absorb and accumulate potentially toxic elements. Results from this study suggest that specific accessions of Guayule can be grown under saline irrigation conditions. Guayule exhibited potential bioremediation benefits under agronomic conditions found in the westside of the San Joaquin Valley, CA.

  • rnaseq analysis of drought stressed Guayule reveals the role of gene transcription for modulating rubber resin and carbohydrate synthesis
    Scientific Reports, 2021
    Co-Authors: Chen Dong, Daniel C Ilut, Grisel Ponciano, Naxin Huo, Colleen M. Mcmahan
    Abstract:

    The drought-adapted shrub Guayule (Parthenium argentatum) produces rubber, a natural product of major commercial importance, and two co-products with potential industrial use: terpene resin and the carbohydrate fructan. The rubber content of Guayule plants subjected to water stress is higher compared to that of well-irrigated plants, a fact consistently reported in Guayule field evaluations. To better understand how drought influences rubber biosynthesis at the molecular level, a comprehensive transcriptome database was built from drought-stressed Guayule stem tissues using de novo RNA-seq and genome-guided assembly, followed by annotation and expression analysis. Despite having higher rubber content, most rubber biosynthesis related genes were down-regulated in drought-stressed Guayule, compared to well-irrigated plants, suggesting post-transcriptional effects may regulate drought-induced rubber accumulation. On the other hand, terpene resin biosynthesis genes were unevenly affected by water stress, implying unique environmental influences over transcriptional control of different terpene compounds or classes. Finally, drought induced expression of fructan catabolism genes in Guayule and significantly suppressed these fructan biosynthesis genes. It appears then, that in Guayule cultivation, irrigation levels might be calibrated in such a regime to enable tunable accumulation of rubber, resin and fructan.

  • modular assembly of transposable element arrays by microsatellite targeting in the Guayule and rice genomes
    BMC Genomics, 2018
    Co-Authors: Colleen M. Mcmahan, Grisel Ponciano, Naxin Huo, Jose Franco, Yi Wang, Howard A Colvin, William R Belknap
    Abstract:

    Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) is a rubber-producing desert shrub native to Mexico and the United States. Guayule represents an alternative to Hevea brasiliensis as a source for commercial natural rubber. The efficient application of modern molecular/genetic tools to Guayule improvement requires characterization of its genome. The 1.6 Gb Guayule genome was sequenced, assembled and annotated. The final 1.5 Gb assembly, while fragmented (N50 = 22 kb), maps > 95% of the shotgun reads and is essentially complete. Approximately 40,000 transcribed, protein encoding genes were annotated on the assembly. Further characterization of this genome revealed 15 families of small, microsatellite-associated, transposable elements (TEs) with unexpected chromosomal distribution profiles. These SaTar (Satellite Targeted) elements, which are non-autonomous Mu-like elements (MULEs), were frequently observed in multimeric linear arrays of unrelated individual elements within which no individual element is interrupted by another. This uniformly non-nested TE multimer architecture has not been previously described in either eukaryotic or prokaryotic genomes. Five families of similarly distributed non-autonomous MULEs (microsatellite associated, modularly assembled) were characterized in the rice genome. Families of TEs with similar structures and distribution profiles were identified in sorghum and citrus. The sequencing and assembly of the Guayule genome provides a foundation for application of current crop improvement technologies to this plant. In addition, characterization of this genome revealed SaTar elements with distribution profiles unique among TEs. Satar targeting appears based on an alternative MULE recombination mechanism with the potential to impact gene evolution.

  • techno economic analysis of Guayule parthenium argentatum pyrolysis biorefining production of biofuels from Guayule bagasse via tail gas reactive pyrolysis
    Industrial Crops and Products, 2018
    Co-Authors: Colleen M. Mcmahan, Akwasi A Boateng, Charles A Mullen, Yaseen Elkasabi, Priscila S Sabaini, Mark A Schaffer, Nelson Macken
    Abstract:

    Abstract The tire industry is currently considering natural rubber from Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) as a viable alternative to imported Hevea natural rubber, or petroleum-based synthetics, to meet expanding materials needs of the industry. However, only 5–10% of the harvested Guayule plant is converted into rubber latex. For economic sustainability, the industry must identify viable uses for the balance residual, termed bagasse. Bioenergy production has been considered, but conversion facilities must be co-located to avoid additional costs in transportation of the bagasse. This study investigated the economics of processing a minimum of 200 metric ton per day (MTPD) of Guayule bagasse to produce biofuels in a biorefinery co-located with a Guayule latex processing facility. A unique aspect of the simulated process was the use of the tail gas reactive pyrolysis (TGRP) technology that formulates an intermediate bio-oil with less oxygenates and therefore requires only mild upgrading to fuel products. This achieved a yield of 16.2%, distributed in the gasoline (9.7%), jet fuel (5.6%), and diesel (0.9%) carbon ranges. The capital cost was estimated at $58.74 million (MM), and the annual operating cost was estimated at $14.19 MM. A discounted cash flow rate of return (DCFROR) analysis was conducted to evaluate the economic feasibility based on a 30-year plant life and 10% internal rate of return. The minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) calculated was 1.88 $/L for gasoline, 1.84 $/L for jet fuel and 1.91 $/L for diesel fuel, clearly showing the limitations imposed by economies of scale of the current Guayule bagasse availability. However, there is a potential to reduce the MFSP by increasing the facility capacity and utilizing the valuable co-products that accompany Guayule pyrolysis biorefining. Sensitivity analysis indicates the MFSP of gasoline can be lowered to 0.96 $/L considering the most optimistic scenario, comprising an integrated large facility of 2000 MTPD, lower cost of hydrogen, and the sale of a premium-quality residual Guayule biorefinery coke.

  • Modular assembly of transposable element arrays by microsatellite targeting in the Guayule and rice genomes
    'Springer Science and Business Media LLC', 2018
    Co-Authors: José Valdes A. Franco, Colleen M. Mcmahan, Grisel Ponciano, Naxin Huo, Yi Wang, Howard A Colvin, William R Belknap
    Abstract:

    Abstract Background Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) is a rubber-producing desert shrub native to Mexico and the United States. Guayule represents an alternative to Hevea brasiliensis as a source for commercial natural rubber. The efficient application of modern molecular/genetic tools to Guayule improvement requires characterization of its genome. Results The 1.6 Gb Guayule genome was sequenced, assembled and annotated. The final 1.5 Gb assembly, while fragmented (N50 = 22 kb), maps > 95% of the shotgun reads and is essentially complete. Approximately 40,000 transcribed, protein encoding genes were annotated on the assembly. Further characterization of this genome revealed 15 families of small, microsatellite-associated, transposable elements (TEs) with unexpected chromosomal distribution profiles. These SaTar (Satellite Targeted) elements, which are non-autonomous Mu-like elements (MULEs), were frequently observed in multimeric linear arrays of unrelated individual elements within which no individual element is interrupted by another. This uniformly non-nested TE multimer architecture has not been previously described in either eukaryotic or prokaryotic genomes. Five families of similarly distributed non-autonomous MULEs (microsatellite associated, modularly assembled) were characterized in the rice genome. Families of TEs with similar structures and distribution profiles were identified in sorghum and citrus. Conclusion The sequencing and assembly of the Guayule genome provides a foundation for application of current crop improvement technologies to this plant. In addition, characterization of this genome revealed SaTar elements with distribution profiles unique among TEs. Satar targeting appears based on an alternative MULE recombination mechanism with the potential to impact gene evolution

Michael A Gore - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • a century of Guayule comprehensive genetic characterization of the us national Guayule parthenium argentatum a gray germplasm collection
    Industrial Crops and Products, 2017
    Co-Authors: Daniel C Ilut, T A Coffelt, Paul L Sanchez, John M Dyer, Matthew A Jenks, Michael A Gore
    Abstract:

    The fragility of a single-source, geographically concentrated supply of natural rubber, a critical material of the modern economy, has brought Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) to the forefront as an alternative source of natural rubber. The improvement of Guayule for commercial-scale production has been limited by the lack of genomic tools and well-characterized genetic resources required for genomics-assisted breeding. To address this issue, we developed nearly 50,000 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genetic markers and genotyped 69 accessions of Guayule and its sister taxa mariola (Parthenium incanum Kunth), representing the entire publically available US national germplasm collection. We identified multiple interspecific hybrid accessions previously considered Guayule, including five Guayule-mariola hybrids and non-mariola interspecific hybrid accessions AZ-2 and AZ-3, two commonly used high-yielding cultivars. We dissected patterns of genetic diversity within the collection to identify a highly diverse subset of Guayule accessions, and showed that wild Guayule stands in Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA have the potential to provide hitherto untapped Guayule genetic diversity. Together, these results provide the most thorough genetic characterization of Guayule germplasm to date and lay the foundation for rapid genetic improvement of commercial Guayule germplasm.

  • a century of Guayule comprehensive genetic characterization of the Guayule parthenium argentatum a gray usda germplasm collection
    Unknown Journal, 2017
    Co-Authors: Daniel C Ilut, T A Coffelt, Paul L Sanchez, John M Dyer, Matthew A Jenks, Michael A Gore
    Abstract:

    The fragility of a single-source, geographically concentrated supply of natural rubber, a critical material of the modern economy, has brought Guayule ( Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) to the forefront as an alternative source of natural rubber. The improvement of Guayule for commercial-scale production has been limited by the lack of genomic tools and well-characterized genetic resources required for genomics-assisted breeding. To address this issue, we developed nearly 50,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genetic markers and genotyped 69 accessions of Guayule and its sister taxa mariola ( Parthenium incanum Kunth), representing the entire available NALPGRU germplasm collection. We identified multiple interspecific hybrid accessions previously considered Guayule, including six Guayule-mariola hybrids and non-mariola interspecific hybrid accessions AZ-2 and AZ-3, two commonly used high-yielding cultivars. We dissected genetic diversity within the collection to identify a highly diverse subset of Guayule accessions, and showed that wild Guayule stands in Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA have the potential to provide hitherto untapped Guayule genetic diversity. Together, these results provide the most thorough genetic characterization of Guayule germplasm to date and lay the foundation for rapid genetic improvement of commercial Guayule germplasm.

  • genomic diversity and phylogenetic relationships in the genus parthenium asteraceae
    Industrial Crops and Products, 2015
    Co-Authors: Daniel C Ilut, T A Coffelt, Paul L Sanchez, Denise E Costich, Bernd Friebe, John M Dyer, Matthew A Jenks, Michael A Gore
    Abstract:

    Abstract Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) is a perennial woody shrub native to the North American Chihuahuan Desert that holds promise as a sustainable source of natural rubber and hypoallergenic latex. The improvement of Guayule for commercial-scale production could be accelerated through genomics-assisted breeding, but such a strategy is severely limited by the paucity of available genomic tools and well-characterized genetic resources. To that end, we used genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to simultaneously identify and genotype tens of thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers across 62 plant samples from seven wild and cultivated Guayule, three Parthenium interspecific hybrid, four mariola (Parthenium incanum Kunth), and one wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium L.) accession(s) that have been characterized for ploidy level and nuclear genome size in this and a prior study. Phylogenetic analysis using the SNP data identified at least two distinct sources of Guayule breeding material in the cultivated accessions, previously unknown multi-species hybrids within two Parthenium hybrid cultivars, and Guayule/mariola hybrids within one Guayule and one mariola wild collected accession. Similar to previously reported results for Guayule and mariola, we observed aneuploidy and multiple ploidy levels among individual plants (mixed ploidy) within three Parthenium interspecific hybrid accessions newly characterized in this study. Nuclear genome size characterization of wild quinine, a first for this species, found an estimated haploid nuclear genome size (5757 Mb) for the tetraploid (2n = 4x = 72) accession that was more than 1.5-fold larger than that of tetraploid (2n = 4x = 72) Guayule or mariola. Together, these results further underscore the need for a comprehensive characterization of available Guayule germplasm and sister taxa with both SNP markers and flow cytometry, illustrate the novel utility of GBS for the genus Parthenium, and lay the foundation for genomics-assisted breeding in Guayule.

  • effects of temperature and salinity on germination of non pelleted and pelleted Guayule parthenium argentatum a gray seeds
    Industrial Crops and Products, 2014
    Co-Authors: Paul L Sanchez, Michael A Gore, Mei Kuang Chen, Mohammad Pessarakli, Hank J Hill, Matthew A Jenks
    Abstract:

    Abstract Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) is an important domestic source of natural rubber. Commercial field plots are currently established using greenhouse grown seedlings that are hand sown as plugs. However, this practice is expensive and laborious. Direct sowing of Guayule seed in the field would reduce time and cost significantly, and yet the effects of seed pelleting, temperature, salinity level, and their interactions on Guayule seed germination are not well established. To test germination requirements, non-pelleted (control) and pelleted seeds were planted in solutions having electrical conductivity (EC) of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mS/cm at 10, 20, 30, and 40 °C for 7 days. After 7 days, the non-germinated seeds were transferred to distilled water plates in a 20 °C environment. Seed pelleting, temperature, salinity, and their interactions significantly affected Guayule germination. The optimal conditions for seed germination (i.e., highest germination rates) were found to be 20 °C and EC 0–2 mS/cm, regardless of pelleting. Both temperature and salinity delayed germination and decreased viability. Germination was inhibited at both 10 and 40 °C. Salinity effects on seeds decreased as germination temperature became optimal. Lowest germination percentages were observed at EC 6–10 mS/cm and at 30 and 40 °C. Germination percentages increased for treatments after seeds were transferred to optimal conditions. Importantly, pelleted Guayule seeds exhibited higher germination than non-pelleted seeds in all treatments. Our results provide important new insights that can help guide the selection of optimal seasonal and soil conditions for field establishment with new direct seeding methods.

  • genome size variation in Guayule and mariola fundamental descriptors for polyploid plant taxa
    Industrial Crops and Products, 2014
    Co-Authors: Paul L Sanchez, T A Coffelt, Denise E Costich, Bernd Friebe, Matthew A Jenks, Michael A Gore
    Abstract:

    Abstract Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) has tremendous potential as a domestic source of natural rubber production in the southwestern United States. However, genetic improvement of Guayule has been slowed by its complex mode of reproduction, natural ploidy series, and lack of genetic and genomic resources. The interspecific hybridization of Guayule with its closest sister taxon mariola (P. incanum Kunth) offers an opportunity to access novel genetic variation for Guayule breeding programs, but mariola accessions available from the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) have never been evaluated for natural variation in ploidy level. In addition, the nuclear genome sizes for Guayule and mariola at any ploidy level are unknown. To that end, we examined the ploidy of 10 mariola accessions, which revealed a natural polyploid series ranging from triploid (2n = 3x = 54) to pentaploid (2n = 5x = 90). In contrast, a ploidy analysis of five Guayule accessions uncovered a natural polyploid series that ranged from diploid (2n = 2x = 36) to hexaploid (2n = 6x = 108). More than one ploidy level among individual plants (mixed ploidy) and instances of aneuploid plants were observed for accessions of both Guayule and mariola. The nuclear genome sizes of Guayule and mariola were similar at identical ploidy levels, and the genome size of diploid Guayule (1624 Mb) was almost twofold smaller than the genomes of sunflower (H. annuus L. 2n = 2x = 34) and lettuce (L. sativa L.; 2n = 2x = 18), two other Compositae (Asteraceae) species that are being genome-sequenced. The results from this study will serve as a foundation for interspecific breeding and genome sequencing of Guayule and mariola.