New Herbicide Resistance Trait in Sorghum

ArkTam sorghum offers enhanced grass weed control

Grain sorghum is a valuable crop in arid regions, often used as animal feed. However, managing weedy grass species like johnsongrass has long been a challenge for farmers. Limited post-emergence herbicide options exacerbate this issue, reducing crop efficiency.

A joint research effort by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and Texas A&M AgriLife Research has led to the development of a patented herbicide-resistant trait in conventional grain sorghum.

This trait, known as ArkTam™, specifically targets resistance to acetyl-CoA carboxylase-inhibiting herbicides (ACC-ase), ensuring better control over tough grass weeds like johnsongrass.

“From an herbicide-resistance standpoint, there are more weeds resistant to ALS herbicides worldwide than any other herbicide that we have out there,” said Jason Norsworthy, Distinguished Professor of Weed Science at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

Experiments demonstrated that ArkTam™ sorghum can tolerate most ACC-ase herbicides with less than 10% crop injury, making it a promising solution. Moreover, it showed effective weed suppression, with most herbicides controlling grass weeds by over 90%.

The development began in 2019, building on previous discoveries of resistant johnsongrass in Arkansas. Researchers successfully transferred the resistance trait into sorghum through backcrossing and advanced selection techniques.

The innovation promises a significant breakthrough for sorghum farmers, providing new tools for weed management while maintaining crop safety.

For additional details, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website.

Photo Credit: sorghum