Changes in Crop Protection

There is much happening at present in addition to the concerns discussed previously about pollution caused by chemical pesticides. It has been recognised that the choice of crop variety can be an important factor that can affect whether certain pests can be less dangerous if they are not attracted by the plants, in some situations due to the hairs on leaves. At present another concern is whether the plant has become more resistant to a particular herbicide, as scientists can investigate the DNA and by studying the genomics they can now obtain the sequence data for the entire genome. In this issue, Scientists in USA are using genomic resources from weed species to address questions around herbicide resistance evolution, adaptation, and crop improvement to develop tools for the sustainable management of weeds.