Breeding wheat to outcompete weeds

摘要

With herbicide resistance on the rise, breeders are working to improve the competitiveness of wheat as an alternative weed control strategy. The focus on integrated weed management (IWM) has become more pronounced since the development of widespread herbicide resistance in ryegrass and 25 other Australian weed species. Figures from the Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management indicate that growers in southern Australia spend about $80 per hectare per year on herbicides. Even with this level of investment, weeds are having a major impact on crop productivity. An important but often overlooked component of IWM is the competitive ability of the crop itself.