Target-based discovery of novel herbicides.

In the past 10 years, strategies for the first steps of herbicide discovery have switched from the testing of chemicals for efficacy on whole plants towards the use of in-vitro assays against molecular targets. Many different approaches have been developed to identify bona fide targets for in-vitro screening. Developments in functional genomics and in pharmaceutical research could aid the development of assay systems for the evaluation of chemicals for their suitability as lead structures in herbicide discovery.