Related Experiment Videos
Imidazolinone-tolerant crops: history, current status and future
Siyuan Tan1, Richard R Evans, Mark L Dahmer
1BASF Corporation, 26 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3528, USA. tans@basf-corp.com
Pest Management Science
|January 1, 2005
Summary
Imidazolinone herbicides control weeds by inhibiting the acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) enzyme. This technology has been used to develop herbicide-tolerant crops like Clearfield* maize and wheat through conventional breeding.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Biochemistry
- Genetics
Background:
- Imidazolinone herbicides target the acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) enzyme, essential for branched-chain amino acid synthesis in plants.
- Naturally occurring mutations in AHAS genes can confer herbicide tolerance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the development and application of imidazolinone-tolerant crops.
- To highlight the benefits and considerations of this herbicide resistance technology.
Main Methods:
- Discovery of variant AHAS genes conferring imidazolinone tolerance through mutagenesis and selection.
- Conventional breeding methods to incorporate tolerance traits into crop species.
- Commercialization of imidazolinone-tolerant crops under the Clearfield* brand since 1992.
Main Results:
- Development of imidazolinone-tolerant maize, wheat, rice, oilseed rape, and sunflower.
- Effective control of a broad spectrum of weeds, including related species and parasitic weeds.
- Prevention of rotational crop injury and herbicide-insecticide interaction issues.
Conclusions:
- A single target-site mutation in AHAS allows for broad applicability of imidazolinone tolerance across many crops.
- Ongoing efforts focus on enhancing tolerance and developing new tolerant crop varieties.
- Stewardship programs are crucial for managing herbicide-resistant weeds and gene flow with Clearfield* crops.