National Ag News
Illinois study unveils progress toward genetic control of invasive weeds
Jul 19, 2019, 14:58 PM
by
Ann Gregson
University
of Illinois weed scientists are one step closer to gaining genetic control over
waterhemp and palmer amaranth.
Graduate student Jake Montgomery assisted with research that suggests male genes are dominant in the two species. He says their goal is to pinpoint the genes needed to genetically modify male plants.
“These genes would be used in a technology known as a gene drive. In this system, all of the offspring would become male no matter what female you cross with and eventually after a few generations you would have no females left and the local population would collapse.”
Montgomery tells Brownfield eventually this new technology could lessen the pressure on chemical control.
