# USDA-ARS

Leads public research in identifying and isolating the genetic pathways of sorgoleone in sorghum to understand its potent weed-suppressive capabilities.

Source: https://en.bioecon.ru/companies/usda-ars/
Updated: 2026-06-24

- Country: United States

## Verifiable facts

| Fact | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Affiliation | U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) | https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2010/tapping-into-sorghums-weed-fighting-capabilities-to-give-growers-more-options/ |
| Research focus | identifying genetic pathways for sorgoleone biosynthesis, secretion, and transport to develop weed-suppressive bioherbicides and plant-incorporated protectants | https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2010/tapping-into-sorghums-weed-fighting-capabilities-to-give-growers-more-options/, https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2018/transferring-sorghum-s-weed-killing-power-to-rice/, https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=439382, https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=448812, https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/project?accnNo=442689 |
| Facility | Natural Products Utilization Research Unit (NPURU) located at the National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS | https://olemiss.edu/projects/pharmacy/enewsletters/2015/september/1.html, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7866972/, https://www.ars.usda.gov/southeast-area/oxford-ms/natural-products-utilization-research/, https://www.zintellect.com/PdfGenerator/OpportunityDetailsPdf/17427 |
| Publications | peer-reviewed journal articles and research summaries on sorgoleone synthesis, function, and genetics | https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12439822/, https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2010/tapping-into-sorghums-weed-fighting-capabilities-to-give-growers-more-options/, https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2018/transferring-sorghum-s-weed-killing-power-to-rice/, https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=439382&showpubs=true, https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=290681, https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=419321 |
| Principal staff | Scott Baerson, Zhiqiang Pan, Agnes Rimando, Stephen O. Duke, Franck E. Dayan, Daniel Cook | https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2010/tapping-into-sorghums-weed-fighting-capabilities-to-give-growers-more-options/ |
| Headcount | more than 100 staff members, including USDA employees, at the center (as of 2015) [medium confidence] | https://olemiss.edu/projects/pharmacy/enewsletters/2015/september/1.html |

Independent sources: ars.usda.gov, olemiss.edu, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, zintellect.com

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