Location: Sugarcane Research
Project Number: 6052-21000-017-009-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jun 1, 2023
End Date: May 31, 2028
Objective:
1. To determine how herbicide resistance evolved in these Italian ryegrass populations by identifying genes involved in resistance. Experiments will be conducted at the ARS facility in Houma, Louisiana.
2. Provide molecular biology expertise and the cooperator will provide seed from resistant ryegrass populations.
Approach:
The ARS PI will germinate ryegrass seed in the greenhouse in Houma, Louisiana. When plants reach the appropriate size, they will be treated with herbicide. RNA will be extracted from survivors and a known sensitive. Target site genes for the herbicides of interest (5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase, acetolactate synthase, and acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase inhibitors) will be amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products will be cloned and sent for sequencing. Sequence data will be compared between the survivors (i.e. resistant plants) and the known sensitive to determine if known resistance-conferring point mutations are present. Additional work, if needed, will include quantitative PCR to investigate gene amplification of target site genes or cloning and gene expression analysis of specific genes involved in non-target site resistance.
