University of Georgia Receives Grant to Study Johnson Grass in Hopes of Improving Sorghum

A team of researchers led by faculty at the University of Georgia have received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find new ways of battling Johnson grass, one of the most widespread agricultural weeds in the world.

Over the course of the project, the researchers will develop a better understanding of the weed's capabilities and the underlying genes that make Johnson grass so resilient. This will lead to new management and control strategies, providing farmers with a more robust toolkit to combat the plant.

However, researchers also hope that learning more about Johnson grass will pave the way for new genetic tools to improve useful plants, such as sorghum, a close relative of Johnson grass grown widely for food, animal fodder and as biofuel feedstock.

"The close relationship between sorghum and Johnson grass poses both a challenge and an opportunity," said Paterson, who is housed in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.