Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 92 Part 2.djvu/1251

 PUBLIC LAW 95-592—NOV. 4, 1978 (h) To the maximum extent possible, the Secretaries and the Joint Commission shall seek the advice of the scientific, engineering and business communities with respect to the activities carried out under this Act. The Secretaries and the Commission shall specifically seek the advice of persons with expertise in appropriate fields of a^icultural research in land grant colleges and other universities, in State agricultural experiment stations, and in other appropriate organizations; and, persons with expertise in rubber manufacturing and commerce in private enterprise and other appropriate organizations. SEC. 5. The Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct, sponsor, promote, and coordinate basic and applied research, technology development, and technology transfer leading to effective and economical methods for large-scale culturing of plantations and the extraction of latex from Parthenium or other hydrocarbon-containing plants. Such research shall include, but not be limited to— (a) carrying out extensive seed collections from wild plants in Texas, Mexico, and other areas and borrowing or purchasing seeds from other sources; (b) developing a stockpile of Parthenium seeds, such stockpile to be appropriately classified and stored at a suitable facility; (c) carrying out breeding and selection programs for the purpose of improving latex yields, expanding insect and disease resistance, and broadening the ranges of drought and cold tolerance of the Parthenium plant; (d) establishing a system of experimental plantings in arid and semiarid regions of the United States having suitable climatic and soil conditions for the culture of Parthenium; (e) carrying out specific studies on the effects of irrigation on plant growth and latex yield and survival potential; (f) developing equipment needed to carry out nursery operations, planting, cultivating, harvesting, transporting the crop, and other necessary agricultural activities; (g) further refining present extraction technologies and future extraction technologies, including technologies which utilize solar energy; and (h) establishing and maintaining a bank of all pertinent research data on native latex including extant United States Government publications and records from the emergency rubber •project. Such data shall be made available to other Federal and State agencies and private persons who are interested or involved in native latex research, development, or manufacture. SEC. 6. The Secretary of Commerce is authorized and directed to initiate and carry out research, technology development, technology transfer, and demonstration projects to test and demonstrate the economic feasibility of the manufacture and commercialization of natural rubber from Parthenium or other hydrocarbon-containing plants. Such research may be carried out through the Eegional Commissions or otherwise and shall include but not be limited to— (a) conducting research and development on extraction and processing techniques; (b) economic analysis of the production of native latex, including usable byproducts; (c) studying the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the commercial development of native latex;

92 STAT. 2531

7 USC 178c.

Data bank, establishment,

7 USC 178d.

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