The effect of genomics on weed management in the 21st century

Abstract

Many advances in disciplines such as chemistry, biochemistry, plant breeding, genetics, engineering, and others have been applied in a positive manner to improve knowledge in weed science. The emerging field of genomics is likely to have a similar positive effect on our understanding of weeds and their management in various plant agriculture systems. Genomics involves the large-scale use of molecular techniques for identification and functional analysis of complete or nearly complete genomic complements of genes. Commercial application of genomics has already occurred for improvement in certain crop input and output traits, including improved quality characteristics and herbicide and insect resistance. Additional commercial applications of genomics in weed science will be identification of genes involved in a crops' competitive ability. Genes controlling early crop shoot emergence, rapid early-season leaf and root development for fast canopy closure, production of allelochemicals for natural weed control, identification of novel herbicide target sites, resistance mechanisms, and genes for safening crops against specific herbicides can and will be identified. Successful crop improvement in these areas using the tools of genomics will dramatically affect weed–crop interactions and improve crop yields while reducing weed problems. In relation to improved basic knowledge of weeds and the resulting ability to improve our weed management techniques, genomics will offer the weed science community many new and exciting research opportunities. Scientists will be able to determine the genetic composition of weed populations and how it changes over time in relation to agricultural practices. Identification of genes contributing to weediness, perennial growth habit, herbicide resistance, seed and vegetative structure dormancy, plant architecture and morphology, plant reproductive characters (outcrossing and hybridization, introgression), and allelopathy will be identified and utilized with high-throughput DNA sequencing and other genomics-based technologies. Using genomics to improve our understanding of weed biology by determining which genes function to affect the fitness, competitiveness, and adaptation of weeds in agricultural environments will allow the development of improved management strategies. This review provides a summary of the various plant genomic research methods being used. Information is provided concerning the current state of molecular research in various areas of weed science and specific genomic research currently being conducted at Purdue University using transfer DNA (T-DNA) activation tagging to generate large populations of mutated plants that can be screened for genes of importance to weed science.

Herbicide Tolerant Food Legume Crops: Possibilities and Prospects

“…Other benefits may include identification and use of genes that contribute to a crop's competitive ability (e.g., early shoot emergence, rapid early growth, fast canopy closure, production of allelochemicals). Genomics may also discover genes that contribute to weediness, a plant's perennial growth habit, seed dormancy, and allelopathy (Weller et al, 2001 This book is divided into two sections namely: synthesis and properties of herbicides and herbicidal control of weeds. Chapters 1 to 11 deal with the study of different synthetic pathways of certain herbicides and the physical and chemical properties of other synthesized herbicides.…”

Changes in the Transcriptome of Dry Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula) Seeds Imbibed at a Constant and Alternating Temperature

“…Genomic programs and approaches can aid both our understanding of the biology of weedy plants and success at managing them (Stewart et al 2009;Weller et al 2001). Indeed, fundamental biological research at the organismal and suborganismal level is vital to identify strategies to develop next-generation approaches to weed management; for example, to manage herbicide resistance (Gaines et al 2010;Peng et al 2010) and understand the relationship between herbicide resistance and seed dormancy (Owen et al 2011).…”

The power and potential of genomics in weed biology and management

“…A symposium addressing the potential impacts of biotechnology and genomics for weed science was held at the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) meeting in Toronto in 2000 . Here, various speakers discussed the potential of genomics for discovering new herbicide targets, providing insights into weed diversity and for identifying the genetic basis of weedy traits, invasiveness, seed dormancy, allelopathy, biological control, and reproductive characters …”

“…6 Here, various speakers discussed the potential of genomics for discovering new herbicide targets, 7 providing insights into weed diversity 8 and for identifying the genetic basis of weedy traits, invasiveness, seed dormancy, allelopathy, biological control, and reproductive characters. 9 Later, at the WSSA meeting in 2007, an Emerging Technologies Symposium 10 considered how advances in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and bioinformatics might be applied to studies of weed biology. This was followed by another WSSA symposium in 2015 on the integration of 'omics' approaches in weed science.…”