New Approaches to Herbicide and Bioherbicide Discovery

Authors: DUKE, STEPHEN - University Of Mississippi; TWITTY, ALYSSA - Colorado State University; BAKER, CLAIRE - Toothpick Company Limited; SANDS, DAVID - Toothpick Company Limited; BODDY, LOUIS - Profarm Group; TRAVAINI, MARIA LUCIA - Investigaciones Biológicas En Agroquímicos Rosario (INBIOAR SA); SOSA, GUSTAVO - Investigaciones Biológicas En Agroquímicos Rosario (INBIOAR SA); POLIDORE, ALEXANDER - University Of Illinois; JHALA, AMIT - University Of Nebraska; KLOEBER, JACK - Micromgx; JACQ, XAVIER - Moa Technologies; LIEBER, LUCAS - Bioheuris; VARELA, MARIA - Bioheuris; LAZZARO, MARTINA - Bioheuris; ALESSIO, ANA - Bioheuris; LADNER, CHRIS - Oerth Bio; FOURCHES, DENIS - Oerth Bio; BLOCH, ITAI - Projini; GAL, MAAYAN - Tel Aviv University; GRESSEL, JONATHAN - Weizmann Institite Of Science; PUTTA, KARTHIK - Enko Chem; PHILLIP, YAEL - Weizmann Institite Of Science; SHUB, IFAT - Weizmann Institite Of Science; BEN-CHANOCH, EYAL - Weizmann Institite Of Science; DAYAN, FRANCK - Colorado State University

Submitted to: Weed Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/8/2024
Publication Date: 10/9/2024
Citation: Duke, S.O., Twitty, A., Baker, C., Sands, D., Boddy, L., Travaini, M., Sosa, G., Polidore, A.L., Jhala, A.J., Kloeber, J.M., Jacq, X., Lieber, L., Varela, M.C., Lazzaro, M., Alessio, A., Ladner, C., Fourches, D., Bloch, I., Gal, M., Gressel, J., Putta, K., Phillip, Y., Shub, I., Ben-Chanoch, E., Dayan, F.E. 2024. New Approaches to Herbicide and Bioherbicide Discovery. Weed Science. 2024;72(5):444-464. https://doi.org/10.1017/wsc.2024.54.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/wsc.2024.54

Interpretive Summary: During the past 30 years an impasse has developed in the discovery and commercialization of synthetic herbicides with new molecular targets and novel chemistries. Similarly, there has been little success with bioherbicides, both microbial and chemical. Such products are needed to combat fast-growing herbicide resistance and to fulfill the need for more environmentally and toxicologically safe herbicides. In response to this substantial and growing opportunity, numerous startup companies are utilizing novel approaches to provide new tools for weed management. This review contains summaries of the presentations of ten such companies that took part in a symposium held at the WSSA annual meeting in 2024. Four of the companies are developing microbial bioherbicides or natural product-based herbicides and the other six are using advanced technologies, such as AI, to accelerate the discovery of herbicides with novel molecular target sites or to develop non-GMO, herbicide-resistant crops.

Technical Abstract: During the past 30 years an impasse has developed in the discovery and commercialization of synthetic herbicides with new molecular targets and novel chemistries. Similarly, there has been little success with bioherbicides, both microbial and chemical. Such products are needed to combat fast-growing herbicide resistance and to fulfill the need for more environmentally and toxicologically safe herbicides. In response to this substantial and growing opportunity, numerous startup companies are utilizing novel approaches to provide new tools for weed management. This review contains summaries of the presentations of ten such companies that took part in a symposium held at the WSSA annual meeting in 2024. Four of the companies are developing microbial bioherbicides or natural product-based herbicides and the other six are using advanced technologies, such as AI, to accelerate the discovery of herbicides with novel molecular target sites or to develop non-GMO, herbicide-resistant crops.