If you still think that almond trees are the solution, you don't know the guayule

If you still think that almond trees are the solution for your fields, you don't know the guayule tree. This rubber plant that Dr. Amaya Zalacain told us about at the University Master's Degree in Forestry Engineering has magnificent qualities to make your land more profitable.

The problem of lack of rubber

The list of Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) for the European Union was increased in 2017 by three new raw materials, meaning that 27 raw materials are now considered critical, including rubber for the first time. The fact is that global natural rubber production for 2017 is estimated at 8.544 million tons and consumption is expected to be 15.3 billion tons in 2030. And what does this have to do with almond trees? Nothing. But if with guayule, that could be the new target crop.

Why is there less and less rubber?

The reasons are varied, although the main ones are the attack of diseases such as fungi (Microcyclusulei), the increase in allergic reactions that latex (which come from rubber) produces and of course, the speculation with other more profitable species in countries where rubber to date (Hevea brasiliensis) was the main crop.

What are your alternatives

Natural alternatives are scarce, one of them is Russian dandelion but it is a species, poorly adapted to our climate, as its name suggests, and with low yields. On the contrary, the Guayule it has better yields and is fully adapted to our Mediterranean climate.

El Guayule

Its Latin name is Parthenium argentatum Gray. It is native to Mexico and is a perennial plant of 50 to 100 cm in height (average of 20 cm). Its water requirements vary between 250 and 450 mm of rain in summer and it develops in a range of temperatures ranging from -23 ºC to 49 ºC, which makes it perfectly adaptable to much of the Iberian Peninsula.

The plantation framework is 20,000-50,000 plants/ha, and produces 5-12% of rubber without allergenic proteins.

El Guayule in Castilla La Mancha, first steps.

El Guayule is already in Castilla La Mancha, specifically in Santa Cruz de la Zarza (Toledo).