ACCase-Inhibitor Herbicide Resistance in Downy Brome (Bromus tectorum) in Oregon

Abstract

In spring 2005, a downy brome population with possible resistance to fluazifop-P, an acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitor (group 1) herbicide was found in a commercial creeping red fescue seed production field, near La Grande, OR, where fluazifop-P had been used to control downy brome repeatedly over 7 yr. Greenhouse experiments were conducted to confirm resistance to a number of group 1 herbicides. The suspected resistant downy brome accession was tested for resistance to fluazifop-P and tested for cross-resistance to other aryloxyphenoxy propionate (APP) and cyclohexanedione (CHD) herbicides, including quizalofop-P, sethoxydim, and clethodim. Data recorded included plant-mortality counts and biomass. Tests revealed that the La Grande downy brome accession was highly resistant to fluazifop-P and sethoxydim at all tested rates. The La Grande accession suffered no mortality from fluazifop-P or sethoxydim treatments up to the maximum tested rate of eight times (8×) the labeled recommendation. The La Grande accession was resistant to quizalofop-P and clethodim at the labeled rate or less but was susceptible to application rates higher than the labeled rate. The control downy brome accession was completely susceptible to fluazifop-P, quizalofop-P, and clethodim at all rates and exhibited increasing susceptibility with increasing sethoxydim rate. This pattern of cross-resistance differs from that of a previously reported case of ACCase resistance in downy brome.