Dandelion rubber: New partner for Taraxagum project

Continental considers the Russian dandelion an attractive alternative source of natural rubber for its tyres and has conducted research into its suitability for more than a decade. This Taraxagum project now has a new research partner, German plant breeder Kartoffelzucht Böhm.

“We are pleased to welcome another plant cultivation specialist to our network. The internationally active company Böhm has great experience in the breeding of cultivated plants. These are ideal prerequisites for our Taraxagum project,” says Dr Carla Recker, head of Materials Chemistry and Taraxagum at Continental Tires.

The Taraxagum project’s long-term aim is to industrialise the cultivation of dandelion rubber. In addition to the Urban Taraxagum bicycle tyre, which is already available to purchase, Continental intends to use dandelion rubber for other future products including car and truck tyres, tyres for the agricultural sector and technical rubber goods.

Key project partners include the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, the University of Münster, the Julius Kühn Institute and the plant breeders ESKUSA and Kartoffelzucht Böhm. This network is supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Education and Research, Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture as well as the State of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania’s Ministry for Economics, Labour and Tourism. It also receives funds from the European Union.