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Illinois study unveils progress toward genetic control of invasive weeds

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.

“I never see it fully taking over for any other control method. Hopefully, we can just add it to the toolbox.”

Montgomery says they are only in the beginning stages of their research, but their discovery of genetic sequences that accurately identify males before flowering will help them understand the biology of the weeds and their response to the environment.