Sorghum Secretion Could Reduce Pesticide Use
15 June 2010 OXFORD, Mississippi, US — Sorghum secretes a compound called sorgoleone, which helps combat weeds, according to Agricultural Research Service(ARS) scientists. Because sorgoleone can prevent other crops from growing in a field previously planted to sorghum, ARS researchers are using genetics to reduce soil toxicity and improve the plant’s natural defense.
Researchers at the ARS Natural Products Utilization Unit in Oxford, Mississippi, US, have isolated two gene sequences that produce the enzymes that help manufacture sorgoleone, which is produced in the plant’s root hairs. When the two gene sequences are silenced, sorgoleone levels are reduced. Not only can this lead to sorghum lines that don’t contaminate the soil for other crops, but could also produce sorghum lines with higher levels of sorgoleone, which would offer superior weed resistance. Additionally, the knowledge gained from this finding enables researchers to search for similar gene sequences in other crops, which could increase their natural pest-fighting capabilities. The research team has already identified gene sequences in rice that are involved in production of similar defense-related enzymes.
The research has been published in The Plant Cell.
Get The Newsletter Today!
