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Could lead to understanding of how the weeds have become resistant to herbicides
In a landmark study, scientists have published the most comprehensive genome information to date for the most troublesome agricultural weeds, waterhemp, smooth pigweed, and Palmer amaranth.
This marks a new era of scientific discovery and hope that the drastic impact these weeds have on crop production systems across the US and elsewhere with ripple effects felt by economies worldwide can be eliminated with potential solutions.
Pat Tranel, professor and associate head of the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois and co-author on the Genome Biology and Evolution study said that the genome assemblies will greatly foster further research on these difficult weed species, including better understanding about the ways in which they evade damage from herbicides.
All three genomes were assembled using advanced long-read sequencing, which maintains the integrity and continuity of the genome similar to the way large puzzle pieces provide a clearer picture of the whole than small pieces. To further improve the assembly of the genomes for waterhemp and smooth pigweed, the team used an innovative approach known as trio binning, developed in cattle.
Jens Lerchl, head of early biology research on herbicides at BASF and study co-author said BASF is working continuously on creating sustainable solutions for the management of herbicide-resistant weeds.
