14-5 Improving the Germination of Guayule Seed.

See more from this Division: Students of Agronomy, Soils and Environmental Sciences (SASES)
See more from this Session: Symposium--National Student Research Symposium Oral Contest: Session 2
Sunday, October 21, 2012: 5:05 PM
Duke Energy Convention Center, Room 208, Level 2
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Ashley Ardoin, Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX and Steve Hague, 370 Olsen Blvd, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Guayule is an important source of non-allergenic latex as well as a potential source of biofuel. One of the greatest problems associated with cultivation of guayule is direct seeding. Current transplant systems substantially drive up production costs and restrict the amount of acres in production.  A series of experiments involving germination and salinity screenings suggested guayule seed has a relatively fair amount of salt tolerance and germination is affected by soil type and moisture availability. A successful direct seeding system will have to account for soil morphology and climate conditions at planting.
See more from this Division: Students of Agronomy, Soils and Environmental Sciences (SASES)
See more from this Session: Symposium--National Student Research Symposium Oral Contest: Session 2