TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — University of Arizona engineers are taking action with Bridgestone Tires to develop natural rubber from a plant that is grown right here in Southern Arizona. This $70m project is centered around a crop that can grow and process rubber called guayule.
Big companies and researchers locally are drawn to this plant because rubber is grown almost only in Southeast Asia. This means the supply of rubber can be critical. Guayule grows in just two years here in the Southwest, making it a local and reliable source of rubber.
“It's natural rubber so essentially when you extract it from a solvent, you actually get rubber that you can make things out of like tires. That’s why Bridgestone is so interested in it," said Kimberly Ogden, UArizona Chemical and Environmental Engineering.
University of Arizona says the U.S. Department of Agriculture invested $35 million for the project. Bridgestone matched the amount to help growers transition to guayule crops from their normal rotations of hay, cotton and wheat.
Bridgestone also recently released a new Firestone racing tire, Firehawk, that contains guayule rubber.
Ultimately, University of Arizona engineers want to use less water, install more irrigation systems, use less fertilizer, cut down on greenhouse gasses and also continue to educate growers.
“It allows some growers to maybe keep their farm because this crop uses ¼ to ⅓ less water than traditional crops," said Kimberly Ogden, UArizona Chemical and Environmental Engineering.
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Brooke Chau is a reporter for KGUN 9. She was a part of Fresno State's newscast, Fresno State Focus and interned at KFSN-ABC30 in Fresno, CA before coming to KGUN 9. Share your story ideas and important issues with Brooke by emailing brooke.chau@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
