Waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, two aggressive weeds that threaten the food supply in North America, are increasingly hard to kill with commercially available herbicides, writes Lauren Quinn at the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences. A novel approach known as genetic control could one day reduce the need for these chemicals. Now, scientists are one step closer.
In a study published in Weed Science, researchers from the University of Illinois identified genetic signatures that distinguish male waterhemp and Palmer amaranth plants from females. The discovery is a crucial part of developing a genetic control system for the damaging weeds.
The researchers’ goal is to one day introduce genetically modified male plants into a population to mate with wild females. Modified male plants would contain a gene drive, a segment of DNA coding for maleness, which would be passed on to all its offspring, and their offspring, and so on. Ultimately, all plants in a given population would become male, reproduction would cease, and populations would crash.
It’s a controversial strategy, but Pat Tranel, the U of I scientist leading the project, says they’re still in the very early stages.
Continue reading at ACES.Illinois.edu.
