ARS | Publication request: MOLECULAR METHODS IN WEED SCIENCE

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: January 25, 2002
Publication Date: March 7, 2002

Interpretive Summary: Weed science is entering a renaissance period as molecular biology techniques are being incorporated with traditional approaches to provide a better understanding of weed biology and ecology. Already, herbicide-resistant crops have dramatically changed agricultural practices and have resulted in the promotion of no tillage cropping schemes. Molecular markers are being used to understand the distribution of weeds and their population dynamics. Standard molecular biology techniques have proven to be fundamental in determining some forms of naturally occurring, herbicide-resistant weeds. The determination of the mode of action of herbicides will be greatly enhanced by the application of DNA microarrays and reverse genetic approaches. Molecular approaches are also being applied to the production of phytotoxins, which should eventually lead to the development and use of practical alleopathic crops. This paper provides an overview on how molecular biology approaches are or will be applied to weed science.

Technical Abstract: The development and improvement of molecular biology techniques offer a wide variety of tools that can be used in different areas in weed science. This paper provides an overview on how these areas can benefit from molecular techniques. Molecular markers in weed biology/ecology, herbicide resistant crops, identifying resistant weeds, modern genomic approaches for determining a herbicide's mode of action, and improved crop interference are discussed by examples.