Sweet alternative to natural latex

摘要

An unexpected source of natural latex has been found in the Russian dandelion plant, as opposed to the traditional source from rubber trees. An alternative has been sought to this traditional means as latex causes allergic reactions creating an issue with clinical products. Large-scale rubber cultivation has also been threatened by fungus, with the infection becoming widespread in South America so much so that large-scale cultivation has become virtually impossible. The disease now also appears to have taken root in Southeast Asia's rubber belt. Fungicides are able to provide temporary protection, but if the disease reaches epidemic proportions, chemical crop protection would be rendered useless.