Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2015, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (1): 133-141.DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1259.2015.00133

• SPECIAL TOPICS • Previous Articles    

Research Advances and Perspectives on Rubber-producing Taraxacum

Jian Qiu1, Jichuan Zhang3, Shiqiao Luo1, Xianzhou Xiao1, Feng Wang4, Liqun Zhang3, Shizhong Liu1, 2, *   

  1. 1Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Rubber Tree, Rubber Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Danzhou 571737, China
    2Zhanjiang Experiment Station, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Zhanjiang 524013, China
    3Center of Advanced Elastomer Materials, College of Materials and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical and Technology, Beijing 100029, China
    4Shandong Linglong Tyre Company Limited, Zhaoyuan 265406, China
  • Received:2013-11-29 Accepted:2014-04-03 Online:2015-01-01 Published:2015-04-09
  • Contact: Liu Shizhong
  • About author:

    ? These authors contributed equally to this paper

Abstract: Natural rubber (NR) is a rare material of strategic importance that, for many of its most significant applications, cannot be replaced by synthetic alternatives. The rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis is the almost exclusive commercial source of natural rubber but cannot meet the growing global demands for rubber because of restricted cultivation. Moreover, South American leaf blight is a potential risk to decimate tress in terms of production. Plants of rubber-producing Taraxacum, producing high-molecular-weight NR, are fast-growing, widely adaptable and easily harvested and so considered a promising alternative rubber source. We review advances in study of rubber-producing Taraxacum, including germplasm resources and breeding, agronomic techniques, and the biological mechanism of NR biosynthesis. The hotspots and key issues are discussed to propose study of rubber-producing Taraxacum and to provide references for this research in China.