Yulex opens Seed & Genetics Center

PHOENIX (Jan. 22, 2014) — Yulex Corp., an agricultural biomaterials company that specializes in producing rubber from the desert shrub guayule, has opened a Seed & Genetics Center.

The new center is dedicated to plant breeding, molecular genetics and the development of agronomic best practices to promote the global cultivation of guayule, Phoenix-based Yulex said.

Yulex's guayule plant improvement strategies include non-genetically-modified cultivar development methods that bridge the gap between classical plant breeding techniques and modern molecular technologies, according to the company.

Additional research activities at the center will involve the refinement of sustainable production techniques designed to improve guayule's rubber yield and quality through natural processes, with a focus on soil management and natural crop production.

As part of Yulex's global licensing program, the center will provide licensees of Yulex's technology with commercial quantities of guayule seeds to establish crops in new regions, Yulex said.