CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Dec. 18, 2015) — Guayule agronomics firm PanAridus L.L.C. has received its 10th patent from the U.S. Patent Office, and the first in the guayule industry for guayule harvesting, the Casa Grande-based company disclosed recently.
The new patent involves a near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) machine that scientifically measures the rubber content in a guayule plant while it is still in the ground, PanAridus said.
This is a critical step in advancing the entire guayule production process, the company said.
“Farmers, investors and end-users like tire companies are looking to minimize risk and increase certainty as we move towards guayule commercialization,” said PanAridus CEO Mike Fraley.
“Having the NIRS means we can more rapidly adapt to environmental stressors like soil types and ensure higher and more consistent yields,” he said.
Yielding a polymer nearly identical to traditional Hevea rubber grown mainly in Southeast Asia, guayule is a solid alternative for tire companies that currently import all their natural rubber from overseas, PanAridus said.
“With an entire mechanized process, domestic guayule rubber will have a huge advantage over the traditional Hevea tree rubber,” PanAridus said.