National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110 012.
Guayule, a desert shrub native to Mexico and South-west Texas (USA) is currently being developed as a supplementary source of natural rubber in addition to Hevea brasiliensis rubber. Natural rubber accounts for abot 30% of world's total rubber production and is being preferred in comparison to synthetic rubber due to certain unique characteristics of elasticity, flexibility, resilience and low heat build up. Rubber in the guayule plant is located throughout the stem, branches and roots and is ca 5–12%. The paper reviews the history of guayule, its botany, rubber and co-products, genetics and breeding behaviour, agroclimatic requirements, propagation and research work carried out under coordinated research programme in India.
