“Bridgestone Guayule: A Journey to Launch a Domestic Source of Natural Rubber.”

Mark Newell,

Wednesday, April 29^th, 2026

Agronomy 3140, 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Description: Since 2013, Bridgestone has invested heavily in the research and development of Guayule as a domestic source of natural rubber, spanning crop improvement, production systems, and downstream processing. This seminar will highlight four key areas central to commercializing guayule as a new industrial crop.

First, we will discuss breeding strategies for this genetically complex wild species, which includes sexually reproducing diploids and apomictic polyploids, with an emphasis on improving rubber content and overall rubber yield. Second, we will review advances in agronomy and production systems aimed at reducing the cost of growing guayule at scale. Third, we will describe progress in optimizing bio-processing at our demonstration facility to efficiently extract and refine natural rubber. Finally, we will examine market development for guayule’s primary co-products, resin and bagasse.

Together, these efforts illustrate the multidisciplinary approach required to domesticate and commercialize a new crop. This presentation will review progress across these four areas, highlighting key successes, ongoing challenges, and future opportunities for guayule as a sustainable source of natural rubber.

Mark Newell is Chief Agricultural Scientist at Bridgestone Americas, where he leads guayule breeding, agronomy, and production initiatives to advance domestically sourced natural rubber.  He is a plant breeder and agricultural science leader with over a decade of experience spanning cereals, row crops, vegetables, and specialty industrial crops. Previously, Mark held senior breeding leadership roles at Bayer, delivering high-performing tomato, pepper, and soybean products. He is known for aligning breeding strategy with business goals, building diverse, high-performing teams, and translating scientific excellence into commercial impact.