Location: Natural Products Utilization Research
Project Number: 6060-21410-012-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Oct 26, 2020
End Date: Oct 25, 2025
Objective:
1. Discover and develop natural product-based bioherbicides with novel modes of action that are safe and effective tools for weed management. [C2, PS2A]
1.1. Discover uses of new and existing natural products for potential use as herbicides and bioherbicides for weed management.
1.2. Discovery of the mechanisms of action for newly discovered phytotoxins using chemical structure clues, physiological evaluations, and molecular genetics approaches.
2. Develop plant-incorporated bioherbicide technologies for weed management based on known or newly discovered allelochemicals and determine the role of allelopathy in the success of invasive weeds.
2.1. Identification of transporters required for the extracellular secretion of sorgoleone in Sorghum bicolor root hair cells.
2.2. Manipulation of sorgoleone levels in vivo to generate enhanced S. bicolor germplasm.
2.3. Generation of transgenic maize, wheat and soybean plants containing the complete sorgoleone biosynthetic pathway.
Approach:
Bioassay-directed isolation of phytotoxin will be followed by their evaluation of their potential as bioherbicides and determination of their modes of action. Genes of the sorgoleone synthesis pathway with root hair-specific promoters will be inserted into plants with the intent to impart or improve allelopathic capacity for enhanced weed management.
