Pollen-Mediated Gene Flow and Transfer of Herbicide-Resistance Alleles

Managing herbicide-resistant weeds is a challenge for growers. Once herbicide-resistant weed evolve, it can be spread by pollen, known as pollen-mediated gene flow. Reproductive biology differs markedly among weed species, as does the potential for gene flow. Pollen-mediated gene flow at a distance could allow the spread of rare herbicide resistance alleles and favor the evolution of multiple herbicide-resistant biotypes through the accumulation of resistance genes in an individual weed or weed population. The speaker will discuss examples of economically important weeds such as waterhemp, palmer amaranth, and giant ragweed and crops such as corn and popcorn to demonstrate the role of pollen-mediated gene flow in transfer of herbicide-resistance alleles. For more information about speaker’s research program: https://agronomy.unl.edu/jhala.