Parthenium argentatum Raw sequence reads

Natural rubber is essential to a broad range of industries and a significant US import ($3.3 billion in 2010, IRSG), with tires (automotive, agricultural, and aviation) driving much of the demand. Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray), a perennial woody shrub native to the North American Chihuahuan Desert, produces significant quantities of natural rubber with moderate agronomic inputs. It has been studied as a source of domestic rubber by the public and private sectors, especially during times of short supply or high prices, and intermittently cultivated for over 70 years. However, it is currently still an emerging crop, and the development of guayule as a viable commercial source of natural rubber requires better yielding, agronomically robust varieties. As a first step, we are using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to conduct a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker survey of approximately 100 cultivars and germplasm lines of guayule and allied species that constitute the USDA guayule germplasm collection. We will use this information to quantify the genetic diversity present in the germplasm collection and inform selection of cultivars and germplasm lines for future breeding efforts.