Numerous annual and perennial weeds infest sugarcane. End-season weed infestations are managed before sugarcane is replanted by fallowing (cultivation and sequential glyphosate applications) or by rotating to glyphosate-tolerant soybean in Louisiana. With the occurrence of perennial grasses and glyphosate-resistant weeds, growers need to utilize alternative late POST (LPOST) herbicide programs in soybean to reduce weed infestations in newly planted sugarcane (soybean-sugarcane rotation). Current rotational restrictions limit the use of acifluorfen, clethodim, fomesafen, and quizalofop to control troublesome weeds before soybean harvest and the subsequent planting of sugarcane. However, there is a lack of information on the carryover effects of these soybean herbicides on newly planted sugarcane. Field experiments were conducted at Schriever, LA, and St. Gabriel, LA, in 2017 to 2018 and in 2020 to 2021 to determine sugarcane injury and yield component response to herbicides labeled for LPOST applications in soybean, including acifluorfen, clethodim, fomesafen, lactofen, and quizalofop, applied at the field-use rates (1X) 45 d prior to or immediately after sugarcane planting. Separate field experiments were conducted at those two locations in Louisiana in 2018 to 2019 and in 2020 to 2021 to determine sugarcane injury and yield component response to five rates of fomesafen applied immediately after sugarcane planting. Results of the herbicide screening experiment showed no reductions in sugarcane shoot and stalk population, stalk height, sugarcane yield, sucrose content, or sucrose yield from the selected herbicides at either application timing. Fomesafen applied at 790 (2X) and 1,580 (4X) g ha−1 resulted in 7% and 13% average visible injury to sugarcane at 27 d after treatment (DAT), respectively; injury symptoms persisted until 62 DAT. Transient injury observed at 62 DAT did not correspond to reduced sugarcane stalk population, height, sucrose content, sugarcane yield, or sucrose yield. This research indicates a potentially low risk of carryover and yield loss in newly planted sugarcane from late-season applications of selected soybean herbicides.

Only four herbicides are registered for smooth crabgrass or goosegrass control on creeping bentgrass golf putting greens. None of the four herbicides control weedy grasses for the entire season or control weeds postemergence when applied once at labeled rates. Three of the product labels prohibit repeated use or application during stressful summer conditions. We hypothesized frequently applying herbicides at low doses could provide season-long control of summer grasses while minimizing turf injury. Seven field experiments were conducted on creeping bentgrass putting greens to evaluate various herbicides applied monthly, biweekly, or weekly for postemergence and residual control of goosegrass and smooth crabgrass as well as creeping bentgrass putting green tolerance. Metamifop applied twice monthly at 200 g ai ha−1, topramezone applied eight times weekly at 1.5 g ae ha−1, and siduron applied weekly at 5.6 kg ai ha−1 or four times biweekly at 11 kg ha−1 did not injure creeping bentgrass greater than 10% and maintained creeping bentgrass quality and cover equivalent to nontreated turf. Weekly or biweekly programs of fenoxaprop or quinclorac caused unacceptable injury and quality decline. Metamifop applied monthly and either fenoxaprop program controlled both smooth crabgrass and goosegrass by 97% to 99% throughout the growing season. Programs containing either quinclorac or siduron controlled smooth crabgrass by 99% to 100% but did not control goosegrass greater than 39%. All topramezone programs controlled smooth crabgrass by 69% to 77% and goosegrass by 93% to 98%. In additional studies, siduron applied five times biweekly did not injure creeping bentgrass on putting greens and controlled smooth crabgrass by more than 90% at seasonal, cumulative rates between 17 and 65 kg ai ha−1. This method of frequent, low-dose herbicide treatment to control smooth crabgrass and goosegrass on golf putting greens is novel and currently could be legally implemented with siduron.

Barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.] is a noxious grass weed that infests rice fields and causes huge crop yield losses. In this study, we collected 12 E. crus-galli populations from rice fields of Ningxia Province in China and investigated the resistance levels to the acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitor penoxsulam and the acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitor cyhalofop-butyl. The results showed that eight populations exhibited resistance to penoxsulam and four populations evolved resistance to cyhalofop-butyl. Moreover, all four cyhalofop-butyl–resistant populations (NX3, NX4, NX6, and NX7) displayed multiple herbicide resistance to both penoxsulam and cyhalofop-butyl. The alternative herbicides bispyribac-sodium, metamifop, and fenoxaprop-p-ethyl cannot effectively control the multiple herbicide–resistant (MHR) plants. To characterize the molecular mechanisms of resistance, we amplified and sequenced the target site–encoding genes in resistant and susceptible populations. Partial sequences of three ALS genes and six ACCase genes were examined. A Trp-574-Leu mutation was detected in EcALS1 and EcALS3 in two high-level (65.84- and 59.30-fold) penoxsulam-resistant populations, NX2 and NX10, respectively. In addition, one copy (EcACC4) of ACCase genes encodes a truncated aberrant protein due to a frameshift mutation in E. crus-galli populations. None of the amino acid substitutions that are known to confer herbicide resistance were detected in ALS and ACCase genes of MHR populations. Our study reveals the wide spread of MHR E. crus-galli populations in Ningxia Province that exhibit resistance to several ALS and ACCase inhibitors. Non–target site based mechanisms are likely to be involved in E. crus-galli resistance to the herbicides, at least in four MHR populations.

This report updates the incidence of herbicide-resistant (HR) weeds across western Canada from the last report covering 2007 to 2011. This third round of preharvest surveys was conducted in Saskatchewan in 2014 and 2015, Manitoba in 2016, and Alberta in 2017, totaling 798 randomly selected cropped fields across 28 million ha. In addition, we screened 1,108 weed seed samples submitted by prairie growers or industry between 2012 and 2016. Of 578 fields where wild oat seed was collected, 398 (69%) had an HR biotype: 62% acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitor (WSSA Group 1) resistant, 34% acetolactate synthase inhibitor (Group 2) resistant, and 27% Group 1+2 resistant (vs. 41%, 12%, and 8%, respectively, in the previous second-round surveys from 2007 to 2009). The sharp increase in Group 2 resistance is the result of reliance on this site of action to manage Group 1 resistance and the resultant increased selection pressure. There are no POST options to control Group 1+2–HR wild oat in wheat or barley. The rise of Group 2 resistance in green foxtail (11% of sampled fields) and yellow foxtail (17% of Manitoba fields), which was not detected in the previous survey round, parallels the results for wild oat resistance. Various Group 2–HR populations of broadleaf weeds were confirmed, with cleavers and field pennycress being most abundant. Results of submission-sample testing reflected survey results. Although not included in this study, a postharvest survey in Alberta in 2017 indicated widespread Groups 2, 4 (dicamba), and 9 (glyphosate) resistance in kochia and Group 2 resistance in Russian thistle. These surveys bring greater awareness of HR weeds to growers and land managers at local and regional levels, and highlight the urgency to preserve herbicide susceptibility in our key economic weed species.

Southern crabgrass [Digitaria ciliaris (Retz.) Koeler] is an annual grass weed that commonly infests turfgrass, roadsides, wastelands, and cropping systems throughout the southeastern United States. Two biotypes of D. ciliaris (R1 and R2) with known resistance to cyclohexanediones (DIMs) and aryloxyphenoxypropionates (FOPs) previously collected from sod production fields in Georgia were compared with a separate susceptible biotype (S) collected from Alabama for the responses to pinoxaden and to explore the possible mechanisms of resistance. Increasing rates of pinoxaden (0.1 to 23.5 kg ha−1) were evaluated for control of R1, R2, and S. The resistant biotypes, R1 and R2, were resistant to pinoxaden relative to S. The S biotype was completely controlled at rates of 11.8 and 23.5 kg ha−1, resulting in no aboveground biomass at 14 d after treatment. Pinoxaden rates at which tiller length and aboveground biomass would be reduced 50% (I50) and 90% (I90) for R1, R2, and S ranged from 7.2 to 13.2 kg ha−1, 6.9 to 8.6 kg ha−1, and 0.7 to 2.1 kg ha−1, respectively, for tiller length, and 7.7 to 10.2 kg ha−1, 7.2 to 7.9 kg ha−1, and 1.6 to 2.3 kg ha−1, respectively, for aboveground biomass. Prior selection pressure from DIM and FOP herbicides could result in the evolution of D. ciliaris cross-resistance to pinoxaden herbicides. Amplification of the carboxyl-transferase domain of the plastidic ACCase by standard PCR identified a point mutation resulting in an Ile-1781-Leu amino acid substitution only for the resistant biotype, R1. Further cloning of PCR product surrounding the 1781 region yielded two distinct ACCase gene sequences, Ile-1781 and Leu-1781. The amino acid substitution, Ile-1781-Leu in both resistant biotypes (R1 and R2), however, was revealed by next-generation sequencing of RNA using Illumina platform. A point mutation in the Ile-1781 codon leading to herbicide insensitivity in the ACCase enzyme has been previously reported in other grass species. Our research confirms that the Ile-1781-Leu substitution is present in pinoxaden-resistant D. ciliaris.

The purpose of this study was to determine cross-resistance patterns among wild oat lines resistant to acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors and to determine which, if any, cross-resistant type was more common than another. Discriminatory concentrations of two aryloxyphenoxy-propionates (APP) and three cyclohexanediones (CHD) were determined using a petri-dish bioassay. These concentrations were then applied to 82 resistant wild oat lines identified in previous studies. In addition, two resistant standards (UM1 and UM33) and a susceptible standard (UM5) were included in the experiments. Coleoptile lengths expressed as percentages of untreated controls were used to assess the level of resistance to each herbicide. Large variations were observed among wild oat lines and herbicides. However, cluster analysis summarized the relationship between the five herbicides (variables) and the wild oat lines into three main cross-resistance types. Type A included wild oat lines with high resistance to APP herbicides and no or low resistance to CHD herbicides. Types B and C included those with low to moderate resistant and high levels of resistance to all five herbicides, respectively. Type C was the most common cross-resistance type. Relationships among herbicides were determined using pairwise correlation and principal component analysis (PCA). All correlations were high between APP herbicides and between CHD herbicides but not between APP and CHD herbicides. The first two axes of the PCA accounted for 88.4% of the total variance, with the first axis correlated to the CHD herbicides and the second axis correlated to the APP herbicides. In the PCA, wild oat lines were segregated into the three types identified in the cluster analysis. Although CHD and APP herbicides bind at the same region on the ACCase, resistant wild oat lines respond differently to them.

The objectives of this study were to determine the inheritance of aryloxyphenoxypropionate (APP) resistance in the wild oat population UM33 and to determine the genetic relationship between resistance in UM33 and another population, UM1, which has a different cross-resistance pattern. Reciprocal crosses were made between UM33 and a susceptible population UM5, and between UM33 and UM1. Initial screenings of F1 and F2 Is populations derived from crosses between UM33 and UM5 were conducted over a range of fenoxaprop-P rates to determine a discriminatory dosage. F2 populations and F2-derived F3 families were then screened at this dosage (1200 g ai ha−1) to determine segregation patterns. Results from reciprocal UM33 x UM5 F1 dose-response experiments, and F2 and F2-derived F3 segregation experiments indicated that UM33 resistance to fenoxaprop-P was governed by a single, partially dominant nuclear gene system. To determine if resistance in UM1 and UM33 results from alterations at the same gene locus, 584 F2 plants derived from reciprocal UM33 x UM1 crosses were screened with 150 g ha−1 fenoxaprop-P. This dosage was sufficient to kill susceptible plants (UM5), but was not sufficient to kill plants with a resistance allele from either parent. None of the treated F2 plants exhibited injury or death, indicating that UM1 and UM33 resistance genes did not segregate independently. From this it was concluded that resistance in both populations is encoded at the same gene locus.

The relative genetic similarity of 37 wild oat samples was determined using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. These data were compared with the herbicide-resistance characteristics of each sample to determine the importance of mutation and gene flow in the spread of Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitor resistance. There was a strong association between the genotypic clustering of samples, their herbicide-resistance characteristics, and their field of origin. Up to eight separate patches in a field were genetically similar, confirming that gene flow by seed movement is important in the distribution of resistant (R) wild oat seed. A greater emphasis on field scouting and treatment of wild oat patches could reduce the spread of resistance within fields. Samples collected from different fields were also found to be genetically similar, indicating that R wild oat was spread between fields. Improved sanitation of tillage and harvesting equipment and the use of certified seed could limit such seed movement.

A seed bioassay was developed and tested for the rapid identification of aryloxyphenoxypropionate (APP) and cyclohexanedione (CHD) resistance in wild oat. Two susceptible (S) genotypes, UM5 and Dumont, were treated with fenoxaprop-P and sethoxydim over a range of dosages on filter paper and agar. The former is a wild oat line and the latter a tame oat cultivar. Within 5 d, shoot and root development of both genotypes were completely inhibited by 10 μM fenoxaprop-P and 5 μM sethoxydim. These dosages were then tested to determine if they were suitable for distinguishing between resistant (R) and susceptible (S) plants. Agar medium was preferred over filter paper because of the ease of preparation and maintenance. Four known R wild oat populations were included in the tests. Those with high levels of resistance produced significantly longer coleoptiles and roots than S genotypes, but those with moderate or low levels of resistance could not be separated statistically from S biotypes based on quantitative measurements. However, after exposing the germinating, treated seeds to light for 24 to 48 h, all the R populations produced green coleoptiles and initiated a first leaf, unlike the S genotypes which did not turn green or produce any new growth. This procedure proved useful in discriminating between R and S genotypes and in ranking populations in terms of relative levels of resistance.

Eighteen Lolium spp. (ryegrass) accessions collected in 1998 from several locations in Arkansas were tested for resistance (R) to diclofop in both seed and whole-plant response bioassays. Eleven accessions were L. temulentum and eight were L. perenne. Fourteen of eighteen accessions were confirmed resistant to diclofop in whole-plant assay. Three of the susceptible (S) accessions were L. temulentum. The GR50 (diclofop concentration that reduced shoot or root length by 50%) R/S ratios based on whole-plant response were greater than those of the seed bioassay in all test populations, indicating that the whole-plant bioassay was more sensitive than the seed bioassay for determining diclofop resistance in Lolium spp. The most resistant (#18) and most susceptible (#3) accessions of L. temulentum were used for multiple resistance and enzyme assay experiments. Based on whole-plant bioassay, accession #18 was 411 times more resistant to diclofop than the susceptible accession #3. Accession #18 exhibited cross-resistance to fenoxaprop and multiple resistance to chlorsulfuron applied preemergence or postemergence. Resistance to other herbicide families was not observed. Resistance to chlorsulfuron was not detected in the seed bioassay. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) from accession #18 was 833 times more resistant to diclofop and 10 times more resistant to sethoxydim than ACCase from accession #3. Cross-resistance to sethoxydim was not observed at the whole-plant level. Resistance to diclofop among Lolium spp. from Arkansas may be due to an alteration in the target enzyme, ACCase.

Weed resistance monitoring has been routinely conducted in the Northern Great Plains of Canada (Prairies) since the mid-1990s. Most recently, random surveys were conducted in Alberta in 2001, Manitoba in 2002, and Saskatchewan in 2003 totaling nearly 800 fields. In addition, nearly 1,300 weed seed samples were submitted by growers across the Prairies between 1996 and 2006 for resistance testing. Collected or submitted samples were screened for group 1 [acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitor] and/or group 2 [acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitor] resistance. Twenty percent of 565 sampled fields had an herbicide-resistant (HR) wild oat biotype. Most populations exhibited broad cross-resistance across various classes of group 1 or group 2 herbicides. In Manitoba, 22% of 59 fields had group 1–HR green foxtail. Group 2–HR biotypes of kochia were documented in Saskatchewan, common chickweed and spiny sowthistle in Alberta, and green foxtail and redroot pigweed in Manitoba. Across the Prairies, HR weeds are estimated to occur in fields covering an area of nearly 5 million ha. Of 1,067 wild oat seed samples submitted by growers and industry for testing between 1996 and 2006, 725 were group 1 HR, 34 group 2 HR, and 55 groups 1 and 2 HR. Of 80 submitted green foxtail samples, 26 were confirmed group 1 HR; most populations originated from southern Manitoba where the weed is most abundant. Similar to the field surveys, various group 2–HR biotypes were confirmed among submitted samples: kochia, wild mustard, field pennycress, Galium spp., common chickweed, and common hempnettle. Information from grower questionnaires indicates patterns of herbicide usage are related to location, changing with cropping system. Two herbicide modes of action most prone to select resistance, groups 1 and 2, continue to be widely and repeatedly used. There is little evidence that growers are aware of the level of resistance within their fields, but a majority have adopted herbicide rotations to proactively or reactively manage HR weeds.

The diversity of resistance among wild oat collected before and after commercial introduction of imazamethabenz, difenzoquat, diclofop, fenoxaprop-P, sethoxydim, and tralkoxydim was evaluated. Wild oat sampled in 1964 and 2000 from the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota were screened for resistance. Nearly 43% of the 1964 collections were susceptible (S) to all six herbicides, whereas only 9% were S by 2000. The frequency of resistance in 2000 compared with 1964 increased for all six herbicides, and 27 phenotype response groups to the six herbicides occurred in 2000 vs. 14 phenotype response groups for the 1964 collection. The proportion of resistant (R) plants increased faster for the aryloxyphenoxypropionate (APP) herbicides, diclofop and fenoxaprop-P, than for the cyclohexanedione (CHD) herbicides, sethoxydim and tralkoxydim. High diversity of resistance responses was observed in wild oat to acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase–inhibitor herbicides, suggesting that there may be multiple APP herbicide– or CHD herbicide–specific resistance mechanisms in addition to those that confer cross-resistance. The trend of resistance response generally indicates that increased exposure to herbicides in wild oat may confer resistance to newly introduced but unrelated herbicides.

Two separate field experiments were conducted to quantify the degree of plant-to-plant outcrossing and pollen-mediated gene flow (PMGF) in wild oat. The purpose of the study was to determine the extent to which pollen movement could contribute to the spread of herbicide resistance in this species. In both experiments, an acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitor–resistant (R) wild oat genotype (UM1) was used as the pollen donor and a susceptible (S) genotype (UM5) was used as the pollen receptor. Hybrid progeny resulting from a cross between UM1 and UM5 were identified using the herbicide resistance trait as a marker. In the plant-to-plant outcrossing experiment, single UM5 plants were closely surrounded by 20 homozygous R UM1 plants in hills. By screening seed from the S parent for resistance, outcrossing was determined to range from 0 to 12.3%, with a mean of 5.2% over 10 hills. In the PMGF experiment, single homozygous R UM1 plants were surrounded by UM5 plants arranged in a hexagonal pattern at low and high densities (total of 19 and 37 wild oat plants m−2), growing within spring wheat and flax crops. In the wheat crop, mean wild oat outcrossing was 0.08 and 0.05% at low and high densities, respectively. In the less competitive flax, corresponding outcrossing values were 0.07 and 0.16% at low and high densities, respectively. Distance from the pollen source was a significant factor only for the high-density planting arrangement in flax. Up to 77 R hybrid seeds were recovered from 6 m2 in the PMGF experiment, indicating that PMGF contributes to the evolution of resistance in wild oat populations. However, the contribution of pollen movement to resistance evolution and the spread of resistance in wild oat populations would be relatively small when compared with R seed production and dispersal from a resistant plant.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This manuscript was reviewed by six colleagues whose recommendations varied widely. Lack of repetition was a major concern. The authors address the problem in the last paragraph of the results section. Factors favoring publication included the worldwide importance of wild oats, the minimal data on gene flow in the species, and the fact that the results are consistent with those of other studies cited in this manuscript. The points raised by reviewers who did not favor publication, especially the role of the environment in pollen production and viability, are acknowledged.

R. L. Zimdahl, Editor

Japanese foxtail is one of the most common and competitive annual grass weeds of wheat in China. Whole-plant dose-response experiments were conducted with fenoxaprop and pinoxaden to confirm and characterize resistant and susceptible Japanese foxtail populations and to elucidate the basis of resistance to these herbicides. The resistant Japanese foxtail population was 49-fold resistant to fenoxaprop and 16-fold (cross) resistant to pinoxaden relative to the susceptible population, which was susceptible to both fenoxaprop and pinoxaden herbicides. Molecular analysis of resistance confirmed that the Ile1781 to Leu mutation in the resistant population conferred resistance to both fenoxaprop and pinoxaden. This is the first report of cross resistance of Japanese foxtail to pinoxaden in the world and of a target site mutation that corresponded to resistance to both fenoxaprop and pinoxaden in Japanese foxtail. Prior selection pressure from fenoxaprop could result in evolution of resistance to fenoxaprop and cross resistance to pinoxaden in Japanese foxtail population.

Metamifop is an aryloxyphenoxypropionate herbicide under evaluation in the United States for annual grass control in cool-season turfgrasses. Insufficient information is available on the most effective metamifop application timings and mixtures for POST smooth crabgrass control. Field trials conducted in Blacksburg, VA, evaluated metamifop for smooth crabgrass control in existing stands of perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and tall fescue at three rates compared to fenoxaprop, metamifop applied twice at three application intervals, and metamifop in combination with the broadleaf herbicides carfentrazone, 2,4-D plus dicamba plus mecoprop (DDM), and mesotrione. Smooth crabgrass control was equivalent with metamifop at 400 g ai ha−1 and fenoxaprop at 195 g ai ha−1. Smooth crabgrass cover was 2% or less, 12 wk after initial treatment, when treated twice with metamifop (300 g ha−1) at a 3-, 6-, or 8-wk interval and significantly better than metamifop applied once. Smooth crabgrass cover was significantly greater at every assessment date in plots treated with metamifop plus DDM than all other metamifop plus broadleaf herbicide admixtures. Metamifop did not appear to significantly injure any turfgrass in these studies, but conclusions about metamifop safety to cool-season turfgrasses cannot be made from these studies due to nonreplication of turfgrass species. According to these data, metamifop is an effective herbicide for controlling smooth crabgrass in cool-season turfgrasses when applied once at 300 or 400 g ha−1 or twice at a 3-, 6-, or 8-wk interval. Although metamifop continues to control smooth crabgrass when added to some broadleaf herbicides, smooth crabgrass control was reduced when metamifop was combined with DDM.

A single dominant mutation conferring resistance to aryloxyphenoxypropionate (AOPP) and cyclohexanedione (CHD) herbicides was incorporated into a quantitative model for the population development of wild oat. The model was used to predict the times required to develop field resistance in a number of different scenarios. Field resistance was defined as a threshold of four plants m−2 surviving herbicide treatment, and in most scenarios, a very large proportion of these plants were resistant. The model predicts that plow cultivation could delay the development of resistance relative to tine cultivation. With an initial seed bank of 100 seeds m−2 and annual use of AOPP/CHD herbicides, which kill 90% of susceptible but no resistant plants, field resistance develops in 15 yr with annual tine cultivation 10 cm deep but only after 23 yr with annual plowing 20 cm deep. The model predicts that herbicide rotation can dramatically increase the times required for field resistance to develop in a tine cultivation system. With annual use of AOPP/CHD herbicides, field resistance develops in 15 yr, whereas using alternative modes of action 1 in 2 yr delays field resistance to 28 yr. The model predicts that resistance can be delayed for at least 66 yr if three herbicides, each with a different mode of action, are rotated and each herbicide causes 90% mortality. The model predictions on the number of years required for field resistance to develop are not highly sensitive to the initial density of the seed bank (range modeled = 102 to 104), the mutation rate for resistance (10−4 to 10−7 per generation), the rate of outcrossing (0.1 to 100%) or the herbicide kill rate (80 to 95%).

A late-summer survey of herbicide-resistant (HR) weeds was conducted in Alberta in 2007, Manitoba in 2008, and Saskatchewan in 2009, totaling 1,000 randomly selected annually cropped fields. In addition, we screened 1,091 weed seed samples (each sample from one field) submitted by Prairie growers between 2007 and 2011. Of 677 fields where wild oat samples were collected, 298 (44%) had an HR biotype. Group 1 (acetyl CoA carboxylase inhibitor)-HR wild oat was confirmed in 275 fields (41%), up from 15% in previous baseline surveys (2001 to 2003). Group 2 (acetolactate synthase)-HR wild oat was found in 12% of fields (vs. 8% in 2001 to 2003). Group 8 (triallate, difenzoquat)-HR wild oat was identified in only 8% of fields (not tested in 2001 to 2003); the frequency of occurrence of group 1+2-HR wild oat was similar (8%, vs. 3% in 2001 to 2003). Group 1-HR green foxtail was found in 27% of 209 fields sampled for the weed (vs. 6% in 2001 to 2003). Group 2-HR spiny sowthistle was confirmed in all Alberta fields sampled (vs. 67% in 2001); common chickweed was found mainly in Alberta in 40% of fields (vs. 17% in 2001). Group 2-HR weed biotypes not previously detected in the baseline surveys included false cleavers mainly in Alberta (17% of fields) and Saskatchewan (21%), Powell amaranth in Manitoba (16% of fields), wild mustard (three populations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba), and wild buckwheat (one population in Alberta). No sampled weed populations across the Prairies were found to be resistant to herbicides from group 4 (synthetic auxins), group 9 (glyphosate), or group 10 (glufosinate). Based on the proportion of total field area at each site infested with HR weeds, it is estimated that 7.7 million ha (29% of annually cropped land) are infested with HR weeds (eight-fold increase from 2001 to 2003), in a total field area of 9.9 million ha (37%)—over a two-fold increase. Of 816 cases of HR wild oat identified from submitted samples, 69% were group 1-HR, 15% group 2-HR, and 16% group 1+2-HR. Additionally, there were 10 populations of group 1-HR green foxtail in Saskatchewan or Manitoba, and six populations of group 1-HR Persian darnel in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. Various group 2-HR broadleaf weeds were identified, including 17 wild mustard populations mainly from Saskatchewan and 39 cleavers populations across the three Prairie provinces. Herbicide-use data from 2006 to 2010 indicated continued reliance on group 1 herbicides in cereal crops and group 2 herbicides in pulse crops.

Repeated application of acetyl-coA carboxylase–inhibiting herbicides, such as sethoxydim, may select for resistant (R) weed populations, making a rapid and reliable seedling bioassay a useful tool. Such a bioassay was developed to determine shoot and root responses of giant foxtail seedlings to sethoxydim. Root and shoot elongation of susceptible (S) and R giant foxtail seedlings was measured at 3 and 6 d after exposure to 0.1 to 100 mg/L sethoxydim. A bioassay concentration of 10 mg/L sethoxydim easily discriminated between S and R biotypes of giant foxtail at 6 d after exposure, with R:S shoot and root growth ratios of 3 and 10, respectively.

Continuous use of herbicides has triggered a phenomenon called herbicide resistance. Nowadays, herbicide resistance is a worldwide problem that threatens sustainable agriculture. A study of over a decade on herbicides in Iran has revealed that herbicide resistance has been occurring since 2004 in some weed species. Almost all the results of these studies have been published in national scientific journals and in conference proceedings on the subject. In the current review, studies on herbicide resistance in Iran were included to provide a perspective of developing weed resistance to herbicides for international scientists. More than 70% of arable land in Iran is given over to cultivation of wheat, barley, and rice; wheat alone covers nearly 52%. Within the past 40 years, 108 herbicides from different groups of modes of action have been registered in Iran, of which 28 are for the selective control of weeds in wheat and barley. Major resistance to ACCase-inhibiting herbicides has been shown in some weed species, such as winter wild oat, wild oat, littleseed canarygrass, hood canarygrass, and rigid ryegrass. With respect to the broad area of wheat crop production and continuous use of herbicides with the sole mechanism of action of ACCase inhibition, the provinces of West Azerbaijan, Tehran, Khorasan, Isfahan, Markazi, and Semnan are at risk of resistance development. In addition, because of continuous long-term use of tribenuron-methyl, resistance in broadleaf species is also being developed. Evidence has recently shown resistance of turnipweed and wild mustard populations to this herbicide. Stable monitoring of fields in doubtful areas and providing good education and training for technicians and farmers to practice integrated methods would help to prevent or delay the development of resistance to herbicides.

Agricultural practices, other than herbicide use, can affect the rate of evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds. This study examined associations of farm management practices with the occurrence of herbicide (acetyl-CoA carboxylase or acetolactate synthase inhibitor)-resistant weeds, based upon a multi-year (2001 to 2003) random survey of 370 fields/growers from the Canadian Prairies. Herbicide-resistant weeds occurred in one-quarter of the surveyed fields. The primary herbicide-resistant weed species was wild oat, with lesser occurrence of green foxtail, kochia, common chickweed, spiny sowthistle, and redroot pigweed. The risk of weed resistance was greatest in fields with cereal-based rotations and least in fields with forage crops, fallow, or where three or more crop types were grown. Weed resistance risk also was greatest in conservation-tillage systems and particularly low soil disturbance no-tillage, possibly due to greater herbicide use or weed seed bank turnover. Large farms (> 400 ha) had a greater risk of weed resistance than smaller farms, although the reason for this association was unclear. The results of this study identify cropping system diversity as the foundation of proactive weed resistance management.