Montana State scientists study how wild oats become resistant to herbicides | The Mighty 790 KFGO

With new funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, scientists in Montana State University’s Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology will seek to fill knowledge gaps surrounding an agricultural weed that has caused problems for Montana producers for decades.

Jennifer Lachowiec, an associate professor in MSU’s College of Agriculture, received two grants from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture totaling more than $900,000 to study how wild oats develop herbicide resistance and to explore management techniques for the weed.

Lachowiec’s work blends several disciplines including plant genetics, remote sensing and molecular biology. The project, which includes collaborators William Dyer and Barbara Keith in the Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology and Tim Seipel and Paul Nugent in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, aims to give agricultural producers recommendations for either precise herbicide applications or alternative management practices.

“By understanding how herbicide resistance can be induced by stressful environments, like high temperatures, we can inform the development of new tools and strategies to overcome weeds and prevent ineffectual use of herbicides,” said Lachowiec. “This will contribute to better environmental health and economic outcomes for agricultural markets.”

By Reagan Cotton, MSU News Service

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