Resistance levels and chemical control options of sterile oat (Avena sterilis L.) in Northern Greece.

Whole-plant response experiments in pots and field experiments over two years were conducted to study the resistance levels and chemical control options of sterile oat (Avena sterilis L.) in typical wheat production areas of northern Greece. Data revealed high levels of resistance to the ACCase-inhibiting herbicides clodinafop-propargyl and fenoxaprop-p-ethyl in all sterile oat populations, noticeable levels of resistance of some populations to tralkoxydim and pinoxaden, and high susceptibility of four out of the five populations to the prepackage mixture [mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron]. The addition of chlorpyrifos did not improve the efficacy of all herbicides against the resistant populations, implying target-site resistance in the populations tested rather than resistance due to P450-mediated enhanced herbicide metabolism. These results indicated that all populations were at least four times more resistant to clodinafop-propargyl, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl and diclofop-methyl than the susceptible populations, but noticeable levels of resistance of some sterile oat populations to tralkoxydim, pinoxaden and the prepackage mixture [mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron] were also recorded. However, viable options for chemical control of this weed still exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]