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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » Natural Products Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #315961
Title: Discovery of new herbicide modes of action with natural phytotoxins

Author
item Duke, Stephen
item Dayan, Franck

Submitted to: American Chemical Society Symposium Series
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/5/2015
Publication Date: 11/4/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5203503
Citation: Duke, S.O., Dayan, F.E. 2015. Discovery of new herbicide modes of action with natural phytotoxins. American Chemical Society Symposium Series. 1204:79-92.

Interpretive Summary: About 20 modes of action (MOAs) are utilized by commercial herbicides, and almost 30 years have passed since the last new MOA was introduced. Rapidly increasing evolution of resistance to herbicides with these MOAs has greatly increased the need for herbicides with new MOAs. Combinatorial chemistry and gene knockout approaches have not led to commercial herbicides with new MOAs. The question arises as to how many good herbicide MOAs exist. The relatively little that we know of the MOAs of natural phytotoxins that can effectively kill plants suggests that there are herbicide MOAs yet to be exploited. Some of these targets are questionable because of potential toxicological problems, but many others are not. The MOAs of natural phytotoxins are discussed and strategies to maximize discovery of new MOAs with natural products that might be used as herbicides are presented.

Technical Abstract: About 20 modes of action (MOAs) are utilized by commercial herbicides, and almost 30 years have passed since the last new MOA was introduced. Rapidly increasing evolution of resistance to herbicides with these MOAs has greatly increased the need for herbicides with new MOAs. Combinatorial chemistry and gene knockout approaches have not led to commercial herbicides with new MOAs. The question arises as to how many good herbicide MOAs exist. The relatively little that we know of the MOAs of natural phytotoxins that can effectively kill plants suggests that there are herbicide MOAs yet to be exploited. Some of these targets are questionable because of potential toxicological problems, but many others are not. The MOAs of natural phytotoxins are discussed and strategies to maximize discovery of new MOAs with natural products that might be used as herbicides are presented.