Development of target-site resistance (TSR) in Alopecurus myosuroides in Germany between 2004 and 2012

Abstract

Alopecurus myosuroides is one of the most important grass weeds on arable land in Germany. For many years, it has developed herbicide-resistant populations. ACCase- and ALS-inhibiting herbicides, in particular, have lost significant efficacy. Two different mechanisms are commonly known to confer resistance to herbicides: target-site resistance (TSR) and non-target-site resistance (NTSR). In Germany, only approximately 5 to 10% of the herbicide-resistant black-grass populations have been reported to show TSR so far. To quantify the status and the distribution of TSR in Germany, 653 black-grass samples were collected between 2004 and 2012 all over the country. The samples were tested by bioassays and genetic analysis. Averaged over all tested samples, ACCase-TSR increased from 5.0% in 2004 to 54.3% in 2011. In 2012, the proportion of ACCase-TSR was lower than the previous years (38.5%). Similarly, ALS-TSR rose from 0.8% in 2007 to 13.9% in 2012. Regions with a high density of resistant black-grass samples were identified in the north and south of Germany. The data suggest a rapidly working selection of herbicide-resistant populations which may be due to current agricultural practices and the increasing use of herbicides acting on a single site.