Award details

Ecology and genetics of arable weeds

Reference	BBS/E/C/00091505
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Peter Lutman
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Rothamsted Research
Department	Rothamsted Research Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	272,766
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1997
End date	31/03/1999
Duration	24 months

Abstract

An understanding of the biology and population dynamics and genetics of weeds is vital for the development of cost effective, environmentally benign control techniques based on predictive systems of weed management. It is essential to have a good understanding of weed-crop interactions in order to minimise herbicide usage. Demographic data are available for some of the commoner grass and broad-leaved weeds in winter cereals but much less has been collected for other important weeds and within other crop systems. This type of information is particularly important where herbicide-based weed control systems are failing for reasons of resistance or because of changes in crop agronomy, or where herbicide use is restricted to reduce environmental impact. The research will investigate the response of weeds to different crops and vice versa. 2 Previous work has both assumed that weeds are randomly or regularly dispersed throughout agricultural fields and has ignored the possibility of genetic adaptation. In fact, weed populations are typically aggregated in distribution and the evolution of herbicide resistance in many species has made us more aware of the implications of adaptive variation. Genetic diversity within weed species is becoming of increasing significance as farmers decrease their use of herbicides and develop more finely tuned systems of weed management. Molecular biology has already been of great relevance to the studies of development of herbicide resistance, weed seed dormancy and the propagation of clonal perennial species. The project will investigate the underlying biology of major weeds and will use molecular biological techniques to study inter- and intra-specific variation within species,particularly in relation to its impact on weed population dynamics. The study of gene flow in Alopecurus myosuroides will be continued, with PCR of regions of the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, which will then be restricted as for the chloroplast fragments. Different populations that have evolved herbicide resistance will be analysed for biochemical mechanism and its effect on nuclear and chloroplastic DNA diversity. Rapid analyses of sequence polymorphism in PCR fragments (e.g. SSCP or allele specific primers) will be applied as necessary. The techniques will also be applied to analysis of clones and gene flow in other species, if time permits. Further discussions will take place in 1996 to identify priority areas. A programme of ecological genetics work using the Park Grass Experiment will be initiated, funding permitting. Further opportunities to apply for funds for collaborative research in ecological genetics will be pursued. Studies of seed production by the three broad-leaved weeds investigated in 1995 will be repeated in 1996. Establish and monitor field project to investigate the spatial behaviour of Avena fatua. Establish experiments to look at intraspecific variation in the persistence of seeds of several important weeds. Explore potential for identifying genetic basis for variation in biological traits. Cloning of plants to provide material for the analysis of A. myosuroides DNA sequences implicated in herbicide resistance and the continuation of DNA studies. Extend studies to Avena spp.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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