In the relentless battle against herbicide-resistant weeds, a beacon of hope has emerged from the labs of Colorado State University. Jacob Montgomery, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Agricultural Biology, has led a study that could significantly impact weed management strategies, particularly for the energy sector where invasive species can disrupt operations and increase maintenance costs.
The study, published in the journal ‘Weed Technology’ (translated from the original title ‘Technology of Weeds’), focused on two of the most troublesome weeds in the United States: Palmer amaranth and common waterhemp. These weeds are notorious for their rapid growth and resistance to multiple herbicides, posing a significant challenge to agricultural and energy sector operations.
Montgomery and his team collected seeds from 141 and 133 agricultural sites across the southeastern and midwestern United States for Palmer amaranth and common waterhemp, respectively. They tested the efficacy of a new herbicide, epyrifenacil, on these weeds using a whole-plant bioassay. The results were promising, with nearly all accessions showing less than 2% survival rates.
“Epyrifenacil showed remarkable efficacy against both Palmer amaranth and common waterhemp,” Montgomery explained. “This is a significant finding, given the high levels of resistance these weeds have developed to other herbicides.”
The team also sequenced the coding sequence of the PPX2 gene, which is responsible for the production of protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO), an enzyme targeted by PPO-inhibiting herbicides. They found that nearly half of all waterhemp samples possessed the ΔG210 allele, a mutation known to cause high-level resistance to other PPO-inhibiting herbicides. However, epyrifenacil proved to be highly effective even against these resistant strains.
“Epyrifenacil at 20 g ha−1 provided the best control, averaging 85% mortality across accessions with high frequency of the ΔG210 allele,” Montgomery noted. This is a game-changer for the energy sector, where invasive species can cause significant disruptions and increase maintenance costs.
The study also found that all other known target site resistance mutations had no significant effect on epyrifenacil efficacy. This suggests that epyrifenacil could be a valuable tool in the fight against herbicide-resistant weeds.
The implications of this research are far-reaching. As Montgomery puts it, “This study provides a foundation for future research into the mechanisms of herbicide resistance and the development of new, more effective herbicides.”
For the energy sector, this research could lead to more effective weed management strategies, reducing the impact of invasive species on operations and maintenance costs. It also underscores the importance of continuous research and development in the field of agritech, as the battle against herbicide-resistant weeds is far from over.
As we look to the future, the findings of this study offer a glimmer of hope. With continued research and innovation, we can stay one step ahead of these persistent pests, ensuring the sustainability and productivity of our agricultural and energy systems.