Natural rubber is a crucial element in the Department of the Air Force’s production of aircraft tires. The Materials and Manufacturing Directorate’s Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies Division paired up with BioMADE, Farmed Materials and Goodyear to plant and harvest Kok-saghyz, a species of dandelion commonly known as TK, as a viable domestic source of natural rubber. Natural rubber can be extracted from this species of dandelion after crushing its roots.
