We examine 2-complexes $X$ with the property that for any compact connected $Y$, and immersion $Y\rightarrow X$, either $\unicode[STIX]{x1D712}(Y)\leqslant 0$ or $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70B}_{1}Y=1$. The mapping torus of an endomorphism of a free group has this property. Every irreducible 3-manifold with boundary has a spine with this property. We show that the fundamental group of any 2-complex with this property is locally indicable. We outline evidence supporting the conjecture that this property implies coherence. We connect the property to asphericity. Finally, we prove coherence for 2-complexes with a stricter form of this property. As a corollary, every one-relator group with torsion is coherent.

We present a new test for studying asphericity and diagrammatic reducibility of group presentations. Our test can be applied to prove diagrammatic reducibility in cases where the classical weight test fails. We use this criterion to generalize results of J. Howie and S.M. Gersten on asphericity of LOTs and of Adian presentations, and derive new results on solvability of equations over groups. We also use our methods to investigate a conjecture of S.V. Ivanov related to Kaplansky's problem on zero divisors: we strengthen Ivanov's result for locally indicable groups and prove a weak version of the conjecture.