Herbicide-resistant Weed Populations Research Articles

Operational planning of herbicide-based weed management

• A conceptual operational planning model for weed control is proposed. • The model selects herbicides to be applied and determines their application times. • The objective is to maximize the economic benefit. • The environmental impact is quantified as an external cost. • Sensitivity analysis shows that the model solutions are robust. Weeds cause crop yield loss due to competition, interfere with agricultural activities and reduce grain quality due to seed contamination. Among the numerous methods for weed control, the use of herbicides is the most common practice. Nowadays, the optimization of herbicide application is pursued to reduce the environmental impact, delay the appearance of herbicide-resistant weed populations, and improve the cost/benefit ratio of the agronomic business. This work proposes an operational planning model, aimed at calculating the optimal application times of herbicides in no-tillage systems within a growing season in order to maximize the economic benefit of the activity while rationalizing the intensity of the applications with respect to expert-knowledge-based recommendations. The model can decide on herbicide applications on a daily basis, consistent with timing of agricultural activities, and provides an explicit quantification of the environmental impact as an external cost. The proposed approach was tested on a winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum )–wild oat ( Avena fatua ) system, typical of the semiarid region of Argentina. In all the studied scenarios at least two pre-sowing applications of non-selective herbicides were required to effectively control early emerging weed seedlings. Additional pre-sowing and post-emergence applications were also advised in cases when competitive pressure was significant.

Advancing Weed Management Strategies Using Metagenomic Techniques

Global occurrences of herbicide resistant weed populations have increased the demand for development of new herbicides targeting novel mechanisms of action. Metagenomic approaches to natural drug discovery offer potential for isolating weed suppressive compounds from microorganisms. In past research, traditional techniques entailed isolating compounds from living organisms, whereas metagenomic approaches involve extracting fragments of DNA from soil and exploring for compounds of interest produced by the transformed hosts. Several herbicidal compounds have been isolated from soil bacteria through culturing methods and have led to the development of popular herbicides, such as glufosinate. In this review, we discuss the emergence of metagenomic approaches for weed management in the context of natural product discovery using traditional culture-dependent isolation and the more recent culture-independent methods. The same techniques can be used to isolate herbicide resistance genes. Adoption of metagenomic approaches in pest management research can lead to novel control strategies in cropping and landscape systems.

A new insight into arable weed adaptive evolution: mutations endowing herbicide resistance also affect germination dynamics and seedling emergence

Selective pressures exerted by agriculture on populations of arable weeds foster the evolution of adaptive traits. Germination and emergence dynamics and herbicide resistance are key adaptive traits. Herbicide resistance alleles can have pleiotropic effects on a weed's life cycle. This study investigated the pleiotropic effects of three acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) alleles endowing herbicide resistance on the seed-to-plant part of the life cycle of the grass weed Alopecurus myosuroides. In each of two series of experiments, A. myosuroides populations with homogenized genetic backgrounds and segregating for Leu1781, Asn2041 or Gly2078 ACCase mutations which arose independently were used to compare germination dynamics, survival in the soil and seedling pre-emergence growth among seeds containing wild-type, heterozygous and homozygous mutant ACCase embryos. Asn2041 ACCase caused no significant effects. Gly2078 ACCase major effects were a co-dominant acceleration in seed germination (1·25- and 1·10-fold decrease in the time to reach 50 % germination (T50) for homozygous and heterozygous mutant embryos, respectively). Segregation distortion against homozygous mutant embryos or a co-dominant increase in fatal germination was observed in one series of experiments. Leu1781 ACCase major effects were a co-dominant delay in seed germination (1·41- and 1·22-fold increase in T50 for homozygous and heterozygous mutant embryos, respectively) associated with a substantial co-dominant decrease in fatal germination. Under current agricultural systems, plants carrying Leu1781 or Gly2078 ACCase have a fitness advantage conferred by herbicide resistance that is enhanced or counterbalanced, respectively, by direct pleiotropic effects on the plant phenology. Pleiotropic effects associated with mutations endowing herbicide resistance undoubtedly play a significant role in the evolutionary dynamics of herbicide resistance in weed populations. Mutant ACCase alleles should also prove useful to investigate the role played by seed storage lipids in the control of seed dormancy and germination.

Development of a Geo-Referenced Database for Weed Mapping and Analysis of Agronomic Factors Affecting Herbicide Resistance in Apera spica-venti L. Beauv. (Silky Windgrass)

In this work, we evaluate the role of agronomic factors in the selection for herbicide resistance in Apera spica-venti L. Beauv. (silky windgrass). During a period of three years, populations were collected in more than 250 conventional fields across Europe and tested for resistance in the greenhouse. After recording the field history of locations, a geo-referenced database has been developed to map the distribution of herbicide-resistant A. spica-venti populations in Europe. A Logistic Regression Model was used to assess whether and to what extent agricultural and biological factors (crop rotation, soil tillage, sowing date, soil texture and weed density) affect the probability of resistance selection apart from the selection pressure due to herbicide application. Our results revealed that rotation management and soil tillage are the factors that have the greatest influence on the model. In addition, first order interactions between these two variables were highly significant. Under conventional tillage, a percentage of winter crops in the rotation exceeding 75% resulted in a 1280-times higher risk of resistance selection compared to rotations with less than 50% of winter crops. Under conservation tillage, the adoption of >75% of winter crops increased the risk of resistance 13-times compared to rotations with less than 50% of winter crops. Finally, early sowing and high weed density significantly increased the risk of resistance compared to the reference categories (later sowing and low weed density, respectively). Soil texture had no significant influence. The developed model can find application in management programs aimed at preventing the evolution and spread of herbicide resistance in weed populations.

Reducing the Risks of Herbicide Resistance: Best Management Practices and Recommendations

Herbicides are the foundation of weed control in commercial crop-production systems. However, herbicide-resistant (HR) weed populations are evolving rapidly as a natural response to selection pressure imposed by modern agricultural management activities. Mitigating the evolution of herbicide resistance depends on reducing selection through diversification of weed control techniques, minimizing the spread of resistance genes and genotypes via pollen or propagule dispersal, and eliminating additions of weed seed to the soil seedbank. Effective deployment of such a multifaceted approach will require shifting from the current concept of basing weed management on single-year economic thresholds.

The Status of Weed Resistance in Plantation Crops of Malaysia

Herbicides are the major strategic components of weed control in plantations of Malaysia. However, heavy reliance upon herbicides as the primary method of weed control in plantations has resulted in the evolution of herbicide resistant weed populations. This paper gives the current status of herbicide-resistant weeds in plantation crops of Malaysia. In rubber and oil palm plantations, four weed species namely Eleusine indica, Hedyotis verticillata, Clidemia hirta and Chromolaena odorata have been reported to have developed resistance to single or multiple herbicides such as glyphosate, paraquat and metsuifuron in several states namely Terengganu, Kelantan, Pahang, Kedah, Selangor, Perak, Johor and Sarawak. Keywords: Chromolaena odorata, Clidemia hirta, Eleusine indica, Hedyotis verticillata, multiple herbicide resistance.

Ability of Potato Cultivars to Tolerate and Suppress Weeds

Potato producers rely heavily on herbicides for the majority of weed control. However, recent occurrences of herbicide-resistant weed populations and the lack of new herbicide registrations have stimulated interest in alternative strategies. The choice of potato cultivars that can suppress or tolerate weed competition could be a component of an integrated weed management system to reduce reliance on herbicides. The competitive ability of 10 potato cultivars—‘Atlantic’, ‘Bannock Russet’, ‘Dark Red Norland’, ‘Goldrush’, ‘Rodeo’, ‘Russet Burbank’, ‘Russet Norkotah’, ‘Snowden’, ‘Superior’, and ‘Villetta Rose’—was evaluated in 2006 and 2007 in Hancock, WI. Weed competition treatments included (1) weedy throughout the season, (2) weed-free from emergence to 4 wk after emergence (WAE) by hand-weeding, and (3) weed-free by hand-weeding for the entire season. Potato cultivars did not differ in ability to reduce weed biomass. Early-season time of potato emergence and canopy closure, as well as weed competition treatments, were strongly related to potato tuber yield. In general, Bannock Russet yield relative to weed-free controls of the same cultivar was less than that of most other cultivars. Overall, Atlantic, Russet Burbank, Snowden, and Superior yields (relative to weed-free control yields) usually were greater than the yields of other cultivars under weedy conditions. Although the ability to suppress weeds was similar among cultivars, differences in yield among cultivars grown in the presence of weeds suggest differential tolerances of weed competition.

Comparison of Weed Suppression and Mandarin Fruit Yield and Quality Obtained with Organic Mulches, Synthetic Mulches, Cultivation, and Glyphosate

Organic crop production, whether for export or local consumption, is increasing to avoid the residual effects of synthetic herbicides in foods, soil, and water, toxicity to other nontarget organisms, and herbicide-resistant weed populations. Organic farmers consistently ranked weed management as one of their most important production problems. Therefore, a 2-year study was conducted under 15-year-old mandarin trees to compare the effects of rice straw mulch, cattail mulch, black plastic mulch, hand hoeing, cultivation, glyphosate, and unweeded control treatments on weed control, fruit yield, and fruit quality. The greatest control (94%–100%) of weeds occurred with the plastic mulch (200 or 150 μm) and three mulch layers of rice straw or cattail. Covering soil with cattail or rice straw mulch (two layers) gave 85% to 98% control of weeds. Uncontrolled weeds in the weedy control caused significant reduction in yield and fruit quality and decreased the yield/tree by 62% compared with hand hoe treatment. Plastic mulches of 200 and 150 μm, cattail (Cyprus articulatus L.) mulch (two or three layers) and two mulch layers of rice (Oryza sativa L.) straw treatments significantly increased the fruit yield/tree by 24%, 18%, 20%, 11%, and 12% more than cultivation treatment, respectively, without significant differences among these superior treatments. Soil mulching with three layers of rice straw, cultivation, glyphosate, and 80-μm plastic mulch treatments caused a significant reduction in weed density and weed biomass, but gave lower yield than superior treatments. Total soluble solids of fruits was unaffected by any of the weed management strategies, whereas values of total acidity and vitamin C were significantly lower in the unwedded control than most weeded treatments. These results demonstrate that two layers of cattail or rice straw mulch could be used effectively for controlling weeds in citrus groves. Their effectiveness in controlling weeds may increase their use in agriculture systems with a concomitant decrease in the need for synthetic herbicides. Further studies are needed to evaluate their side effects on beneficial organisms, diseases, and insects.

Management Strategies for Herbicide-resistant Weed Populations in Australian Dryland Crop Production Systems

In most world crop-production areas, the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds is becoming a major issue. This problem has become most severe across the Australian dryland crop-production region, where herbicide-resistant weed populations are threatening crop-production profitability and sustainability across 20 million ha. Widespread herbicide resistance has forced changes in agronomic and herbicide practices. This problem is particularly evident in Western Australia, where the frequency and distribution of herbicide-resistant weed populations appear to be greater than anywhere else in the world. Judicious use of herbicide mixtures and rotations can reduce the selection pressure for evolved resistance to any one specific herbicide. Additionally, agronomic practices, such as the double knockdown (preseeding sequential application of nonselective herbicides), increased seeding rates, and targeting of weed seed production to prevent seedbank inputs, are needed to reduce the selection pressure on all herbicides by reducing in-crop weed populations. However, these techniques are not without problems or limitations, and their weed control efficacy is inferior to that of most in-crop selective herbicides. The adoption by Australian farmers of the current limited technology is clear evidence of the value placed on the use of these alternate crop weed-control practices. The continued evolution of herbicide resistance more than justifies continuing research and development efforts to produce integrated strategies and smarter herbicide use so as to achieve sustainable weed management.

No-tillage adoption decisions in southern Australian cropping and the role of weed management

Adoption of no-tillage sowing systems has increased rapidly in many Australian grain growing regions over the past decade. The extent of herbicide resistant weed populations in these regions has also increased over the same period. A survey of growers in the South and Western Australian cropping regions was conducted to identify opportunities for more effective tillage and weed-related extension. Trends in sowing system use are determined, as are growers’ perceptions of the long-term effects of no-tillage on herbicide costs, herbicide resistance, and soil erosion. The results suggest a major expansion in the adoption of no-tillage sowing in most South Australian cropping regions over the next 5 years, although growers expect increased herbicide costs in no-tillage systems and an increased risk of herbicide resistance. Herbicide resistance and weed control issues are the main reasons given for reducing no-tillage use. A key research and extension challenge is to develop and implement weed management strategies that are able to sustain long-term no-tillage use in a cropping environment where growers place a high value on the soil and production benefits of no-tillage, but over-reliance on herbicides can rapidly lead to resistance in major crop weeds.

Herbicide‐resistant crops and weed resistance to herbicides

The adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops has increased dramatically during the last 3 years, and currently over 52 million hectares of GM crops are planted world-wide. Approximately 41 million hectares of GM crops planted are herbicide-resistant crops, which includes an estimated 33.3 million hectares of herbicide-resistant soybean. Herbicide-resistant maize, canola, cotton and soybean accounted for 77% of the GM crop hectares in 2001. However, sugarbeet, wheat, and as many as 14 other crops have transgenic herbicide-resistant cultivars that may be commercially available in the near future. There are many risks associated with the production of GM and herbicide-resistant crops, including problems with grain contamination, segregation and introgression of herbicide-resistant traits, marketplace acceptance and an increased reliance on herbicides for weed control. The latter issue is represented in the occurrence of weed population shifts, the evolution of herbicide-resistant weed populations and herbicide-resistant crops becoming volunteer weeds. Another issue is the ecological impact that simple weed management programs based on herbicide-resistant crops have on weed communities. Asiatic dayflower (Commelina cumminus L) common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L) and wild buckwheat (Polygonum convolvulus L) are reported to be increasing in prominence in some agroecosystems due to the simple and significant selection pressure brought to bear by herbicide-resistant crops and the concomitant use of the herbicide. Finally, evolution of herbicide-resistant weed populations attributable to the herbicide-resistant crop/herbicide program has been observed. Examples of herbicide-resistant weeds include populations of horseweed (Conyza canadensis (L) Cronq) resistant to N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine (glyphosate). An important question is whether or not these problems represent significant economic issues for future agriculture.

Manejo de Bidens subalternans resistente aos herbicidas inibidores da acetolactato sintase

A extensão das áreas com seleção de populações de plantas daninhas resistentes a herbicidas tem aumentado rapidamente no Brasil nos últimos anos, sendo citado como causa principal desta seleção a recomendação inadequada de produtos. Com o objetivo de avaliar a eficácia de controle de plantas daninhas através de herbicidas, com diferentes mecanismos de ação, sobre plantas de Bidens subalternans, foi conduzido o presente trabalho, que envolveu um experimento de casa de vegetação e dois de campo, com as culturas de milho e soja. A pesquisa foi realizada a partir de populações de plantas de Bidens subalternans com suspeita de resistência aos herbicidas inibidores da ALS encontradas em área de produção comercial nas quais ocorriam falhas de controle através desses herbicidas. Os resultados permitiram confirmar a seleção de populações resistentes aos herbicidas inibidores da acetolactato sintase (ALS) e encontrar alternativas para o manejo destas populações, por meio do uso de produtos com mecanismo de ação diferenciado, tanto para a cultura da soja quanto para a do milho. Produtos inibidores da protoporfirinogênio oxidase (PROTOX), da fotossíntese e da divisão celular, aplicados isoladamente ou em misturas, controlaram adequadamente o biótipo resistente.

Weed management practices in natural ecosystems: a critical overview

Increasing public pressure against the use of pesticides and other agricultural inputs has placed increased emphasis on the development of ecologically based pest management. One distinct reaction of the Weed Science discipline has been the swing away from herbicide research to increased research on the basic biology and ecology of weeds in hopes of reduced reliance on "technological crutches" such as herbicides and other practices that are potentially harmful to the environment. Biological control is the long-standing alternative to the use of herbicides and interest in the former practice has been boosted by the realization that the use of herbicides may lead to the development of herbicide resistance in weed populations, and that herbicide residues occur in surface and groundwater. Supporters of herbicide use would point out that biological control is generally not effective in crop production systems, and is basically slow-acting. Debates between protagonists for the exclusive use of one or the other weed management practice tend to obscure the benefits that integration of different techniques are likely to have. For natural ecosystems it is proposed that integration of the more subtle practice of biological control with the use of herbicides, which relatively quickly overwhelm a biological system with mortality, is likely to be the most effective weed management tool. Different weed management practices that could be considered in natural ecosystems are discussed in terms of three key performance rating criteria, viz. activity, selec- tivity and persistence In this concise review, general discussion is focussed on the fundamentals of weed management practices, with the view to promote concept-based approaches that are critical for the development of effective weed management strate- gies.

The Impact of Herbicide-Resistant Weeds on Kansas Agriculture

Herbicides are important components of weed management programs for most Kansas farmers. Monocropping systems and repeated use of the same or similar herbicides in some areas of the state have resulted in the development of herbicide-resistant weeds. The development of herbicide-resistant weed populations can have an immediate and a long-term effect on the cost, implementation, and effectiveness of weed control programs. In Kansas, resistance to triazine herbicides has been confirmed in kochia (Kochia scoparia), redroot pigweed, common waterhemp (Amaranthus rudis), Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri), and downy brome (Bromus tectorum) populations, and resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides has been confirmed in kochia, Russian thistle (Salsola kali), common waterhemp, Palmer amaranth, common cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium), shattercane (Sorghum bicolor), and common sunflower (Helianthus annum). The frequency and distribution of herbicide resistance varies among species. Producers who experience herbicide resistance problems adjust their weed control program accordingly. Producers that have not encountered an herbicide resistance problem tend to continue with a successful herbicide program until it fails. The recommended management strategies for herbicide-resistant weed populations include an integrated system of crop rotation, rotation of herbicide modes of action, tank-mixes of herbicides with different modes of action, and cultivation. The greatest direct cost to the producer occurs during the first year of poor weed control. The first response to an herbicide failure often is to reapply the same herbicide that has worked well previously. By the time the producer realizes that the treatment is not going to work, it usually is too late for any other remedial action. Consequently, the farmer experiences reduced crop production from weed competition, high herbicide costs, and a tremendous increase in the seed bank. The increase in seed bank may cost the farmer the most in the long run because the increased weed pressure often requires an intensified control program for several years.

The Evolution and Genetics of Herbicide Resistance in Weeds

The importance of various factors influencing the evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds is critically examined using population genetic models. The factors include gene mutation, initial frequency of resistance alleles, inheritance, weed fitness in the presence and absence of herbicide, mating system, and gene flow. Where weed infestations are heavy, the probability of selecting for resistance can be high even when the rate of mutation is low. Subsequent to the occurrence of a resistant mutant, repeated treatments with herbicides having the same mode of action can lead to the rapid evolution of a predominantly resistant population. At a given herbicide selection intensity, the initial frequency of resistance alleles determines the number of generations required to reach a specific frequency of resistant plants. The initial frequency of resistance alleles has a greater influence on the evolutionary process when herbicides impose weak selection, as opposed to very strong selection. Under selection, dominant resistance alleles increase in frequency more rapidly than recessive alleles in random mating or highly outcrossing weed populations. In highly self-fertilizing species, dominant and recessive resistance alleles increase in frequency at approximately the same rate. Gene flow through pollen or seed movement from resistant weed populations can provide a source of resistance alleles in previously susceptible populations. Because rates of gene flow are generally higher than rates of mutation, the time required to reach a high level of resistance in such situations is greatly reduced. Contrary to common misconception, gene flow from a susceptible population to a population undergoing resistance evolution is unlikely to slow the evolutionary process significantly. Accurate measurements of many factors that influence resistance evolution are difficult, if not impossible, to obtain experimentally. Thus, the use of models to predict times to resistance in specific situations is markedly limited. However, with appropriate assumptions, they can be invaluable in assessing the relative effectiveness of various management practices to avoid, or delay, the occurrence of herbicide resistance in weed populations.

Herbicide Resistance: Where are we? How did we Get here? Where are we Going?

The first significant cases of herbicide-resistant weed populations were to the triazines in the 1970s. In the last 10 years there has been an increase in the number of weed populations that have become resistant to an array of herbicides. In some of these cases, like rigid ryegrass in Australia, a multitude of resistant biotypes has evolved with different mechanisms of resistance. If the present trend continues, the number of herbicides effective on certain weed species may diminish rapidly. To counteract this trend, industry has organized a number of intercompany working groups to specifically address the development of resistance and to implement plans to manage resistance. University and extension along with industry personnel across the world have begun educating growers on resistance management. However, this effort needs to be intensified to find new solutions for controlling weeds through the use of integrated weed management practices that incorporate new and established herbicides with cultural, mechanical, and biological control methods. The challenge is to develop cost effective, environmentally sustainable programs for weed control while maintaining the present efficiency in food and fiber production so that needs of an ever expanding human population can be met.

STUDYING HERBICIDE RESISTANCE USING TREATMENT AREA DYNAMICS MODEL

Repeated use of a herbicide or herbicides with the same mode of action on a particular crop over a number of years may cause the selection of herbicide resistant weed populations. As a result effective weed control is lost which can seriously affect crop yield and quality. The selection of herbicide resistant weed populations is a concern not only for crop-growers, but also the manufacturers of the affected herbicides. In the present paper a two-step procedure is developed to identify the herbicide resistant activity in a particular crop growing region by estimating the resistant areas (in acres/hectares) in a given year of herbicide continued treatment along with percent risk of detecting herbicide resistance. A computer aided treatment area dynamics model (TADM) for estimating resistant areas, and a multistage model for estimating risk of herbicide resistance are discussed. An example is presented at the end to illustrate the two-step procedure.

Predicting the Evolution and Dynamics of Herbicide Resistance in Weed Populations

Herbicide resistance jeopardizes the usefulness of valuable chemical tools and, therefore, weed management in many crop systems. Models must be developed to evaluate management tactics that prevent, delay, or reduce resistance. The complexity of biological processes involved in herbicide resistance also requires models to focus research and to integrate experiments. A population model was developed that improves upon previous attempts to predict herbicide resistance dynamics. The model incorporates plant population demographics with the Hardy-Weinberg concept for gene segregation. The model simulates the evolution, spread, and subsequent dynamics of resistance in the presence and absence of a herbicide. Analysis of model simulations identified two sets of biological processes as key factors in the evolution and dynamics of herbicide-resistant weed populations. These are processes that influence ecological fitness and gene flow. Several options are suggested as examples for the management of resistant weed populations.

Appearance and Spread of Triazine Resistance in Common Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album)

The first step in appearance of herbicide-resistant weed populations is the appearance of resistant plants or mutants. While efforts are underway to study and predict the spread of resistant plants within weed populations, knowledge of the conditions prevailing at the time of appearance of the first resistant plants is misunderstood. We try to shed some light on this phenomenon using the example of atrazine-resistant common lambsquarters. The population structure and variability, the presence of unusual genotypes that have a high mutation rate, the occurrence of a low-dose resistant phenotype that is the precursor of a high-dose resistant phenotype, and the potential for multiplication and spread are shown to be of major importance in the behavior of herbicide resistance.