Biotech Updates

Research Finds Mechanism of Herbicide Resistance

May 20, 2015

Researchers from the University of Adelaide have identified the mechanism behind the resistance of the cereal weed brome grass to the widely used herbicide glyphosate. The researchers said that it is the first weed species in Australia to have shown this mechanism of resistance.

Resistance to glyphosate has been found in recent years in two different populations of great brome. Both populations showed the same mechanism of resistance called gene amplification, where the resistant plant produces numbers of copies of the gene responsible for EPSPS, the enzyme which is targeted by glyphosate. More enzyme production overcomes the herbicide action.

For more details about this research, read the news release at the University of Adelaide website.