NATURAL RUBBER IS ESSENTIAL TO US ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC INTERESTS, BUT THE SUPPLY IS AT RISK FROM PLANT DISEASES AND GEOPOLITICAL CRISES. A US-GROWN RUBBER CROP WOULD MITIGATE BOTH RISKS AND STRENGTHEN US AGRICULTURE. RUBBER DANDELION IS A PROMISING OPTION BECAUSE IT MAKES CONSIDERABLE QUANTITIES OF HIGH-QUALITY RUBBER. MAKING IT INTO AN AGRICULTURAL CROP DEPENDS ON DEVELOPING DIVERSE GERMPLASM WITH VALUABLE TRAITS AND A SET OF TOOLS FOR EFFICIENT BREEDING. ADVANCED BIOTECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL IMAGING TECHNOLOGY WILL BE USED TO STUDY GENES RELATED TO DOMESTICATION AND AGRONOMICALLY IMPORTANT TRAITS. GENETIC AND PHENOTYPIC TRAIT DATA WILL GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIVERSE VALUABLE GERMPLASM. COMMERCIAL BREEDERS WILL BE ABLE TO USE THESE TOOLS AND FOUNDATIONAL GERMPLASM TO PRODUCE HIGH-VALUE FIELD-READY CULTIVARS.

Ohio State University, The, Columbus OH

Investigators