Search

One of the crucial factors in the evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds is the mode of inheritance. Experiments were conducted to determine the inheritance of glyphosate resistance in a population of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) caused by restricted glyphosate translocation. First, the degree of dominance of the glyphosate resistance trait was evaluated by generating first filial generation families through pair-crossing resistant with susceptible plants. Dose-response experiments showed that these first generation families had an intermediate level of glyphosate resistance compared with that of the parent plants. The phenotypic segregation of the resistance trait was then investigated by backcrossing the first generation offspring with individuals from the original susceptible population. Results obtained from spraying the resulting backcrossed families with two rates of glyphosate gave segregation values that best fitted the one-gene model. Hence, glyphosate resistance in perennial ryegrass caused by the restricted herbicide translocation trait is controlled by a single nuclear gene with incomplete dominance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In New Zealand vineyards, evolution of glyphosate resistance in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) has been reported recently, and restricted translocation of glyphosate has been found in these resistant plants. Past research with other plant species has found that restricted glyphosate translocation is temperature dependent. Glasshouse dose-response experiments were conducted with resistant perennial ryegrass at different temperatures to investigate if this population becomes susceptible to glyphosate under cooler conditions. Glyphosate-susceptible plants (population SP) grown in either warm (average of 20 °C) or cool (average of 9 °C) temperatures following treatment with several rates of glyphosate responded similarly to the herbicide regardless of temperature. In contrast, plants of population J (glyphosate resistant) were significantly more resistant than population SP to glyphosate when treated under warm conditions, but at the cooler temperature, population J was as susceptible as population SP. Thus the mechanism of resistance in population J appeared to be suppressed under cool conditions, suggesting that application of glyphosate during winter might improve control of glyphosate-resistant perennial ryegrass infestations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research in the 1980s showed thatRanunculus acrishad evolved resistance to the phenoxy herbicides MCPA and MCPB in New Zealand. Since then two ALS-inhibitor herbicides, flumetsulam and thifensulfuron-methyl, have been used but recently flumetsulam has been reported as being less effective. The mortality responses of seedling progeny of 15R. acrispopulations, differing in historical exposure to phenoxy and ALS-inhibitor herbicides, were compared using a log-series of five doses of MCPA, flumetsulam and thifensulfuron-methyl. The resulting mortalities were higher than expected at lower doses, meaning LD50values were not reliably estimated. In a second experiment, the responses of one population with no previous exposure to herbicides and one population with high exposure to flumetsulam were compared using a wider range of doses of flumetsulam (0.04 to 25 times). The LD50values differed 5.3-fold between the resistant and susceptible biotypes. In a third experiment, four populations varying in past exposure to both herbicide groups were treated with either flumetsulam or MCPA. Resulting LD50values were higher in populations with high previous exposure to both groups. These results confirm that resistance to both phenoxy and ALS herbicides can occur inR. acrispopulations through repeated use. Since these are the only two available groups for the selective control of this weed in dairy pastures in New Zealand, the options for control are reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three quick tests were evaluated for detecting glyphosate-resistant biotypes of Italian ryegrass and perennial ryegrass. Biotypes of these two species were used that were 13.4 and 7.3 times more resistant to glyphosate, respectively, than susceptible biotypes when assessed using a sprayed pot study. One assay exposed germinating seeds of resistant and susceptible populations for 8 days to different concentrations of glyphosate. Measurements of reduction in seedling root growth gave an estimate of resistance magnitude of 10.8 and 8.9 for Italian ryegrass and perennial ryegrass, respectively, similar to that from the sprayed pot study. Two other assays were tested and were able to differentiate resistant and susceptible biotypes. One measured the relative levels of shikimic acid in leaves following exposure to glyphosate; four to seven times more shikimic acid accumulated in glyphosate-susceptible populations of Italian and perennial ryegrass than in resistant populations. The other assay involved growing tillers of the plants in glyphosate solutions and the results showed that at glyphosate concentrations of 10 and 40 mg/L, the plantlets of resistant plants showed negligible visual injury and growth reduction compared with susceptible ones. Results obtained from these assays were not affected by whether the glyphosate formulation used was an isopropylamine salt or potassium salt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]