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WW-06077 Reviewed 2008

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Resistance of weeds to herbicides is not a unique phenomenon. In fact, resistance to pesticides is a world wide problem that is not confined to any single pest category. The first report of insects resistant to insecticides was in 1908, of plant pathogens resistant to fungicides in 1940, and of weeds resistant to herbicides (triazines) in 1968. By 1991,120 weed biotypes that were resistant to triazine herbicides and 15 other herbicide families were documented throughout the world. Results of a 1992 North Central Weed Science Society survey of the north central United States and Canada reflect a world wide trend of increasing appearance of herbicide resistance. Twelve states or provinces reported biotypes of 19 weed species resistant to triazine herbicides (Table 7). Five states or provinces reported biotypes of three weed species resistant to lipid biosynthesis inhibitors (Table 4), 10 states or provinces reported biotypes of four weed species resistant to amino acid biosynthesis inhibitors (Table 2), four states or provinces reported biotypes of two weed species resistant to dinitroaniline herbicides (Table 5), and Manitoba reported resistance of a wild mustard biotype to growth regulator herbicides (Table 1). Indeed, pests have proven to be ecologically and biochemically adaptable to agrichemicals.
In corn, soybean, and small grains there are many herbicide options. Why then should a crop producer be concerned whether a weed biotype is resistant to a particular herbicide? There are several reasons. Many herbicide options could quickly be lost for several crops if a weed biotype is resistant to more than one herbicide (i.e. cross resistance). Obviously, a loss of herbicide options could have important economic and environmental consequences to agriculture. Also, in an era of high re-registration costs for older herbicides and high development costs for new herbicides, the possibility for replacement of the herbicides lost due to resistance diminishes. Finally, in most cases, it will not be easy nor inexpensive to assess resistant weed biotypes. Due to cross resistance, many resistance problems may have to be solved by trial and error, which could be quite expensive to the crop producer.
The herbicide resistance issue does have solutions and perhaps the best place to start is to consider herbicides as a resource that needs to be preserved. Strategies for resistance prevention follow from there.
Site of action refers to the biochemical site within the plant with which the herbicide directly interacts. Some herbicide site of action interactions are well understood, others are unknown. Many of the well-known sites of action are enzymes or proteins essential to plant growth and development (Figure 1 and Figure 2). Also, some herbicides are believed to act at multiple sites.
Metabolism refers to the biochemical processes within the plant that generally modify herbicides to less toxic compounds. Differential rates of metabolism between crops and weeds is a primary method of crop selectivity to herbicides. One metabolic process may affect several different families of herbicides.
Herbicide families are a convenient way of organizing herbicides that share a common chemical structure and have similar herbicidal activity. Two or more herbicide families may affect the same site of action and therefore express similar herbicidal activity and injury symptoms. For information about the site of action and chemical family of a specific herbicide, please refer to Herbicide Mode of Action and Injury Symptoms CD-ROM.
A biotype is a group of plants within a species that has biological traits that are not common to the population as a whole. For example, the Pursuit resistant corn hybrid Pioneer 3377 IR is a biotype of Pioneer 3377 and atrazine-resistant common lambsquarters is a biotype of common lambsquarters. Therefore, in most instances, specific biotypes are not easily recognizable by casual observation.
Selection intensity in regard to herbicide resistance is the degree to which weed control measures (e.g. herbicides) in a cropping system give a competitive advantage to a weed or crop biotype resistant to a particular herbicide.
Herbicide susceptibility means a particular weed or crop biotype is killed by the recommended use rate of the herbicide.
Herbicide resistance refers to the inherited ability of a weed or crop biotype to survive a herbicide application to which the original population was susceptible. Currently, the three known resistance mechanisms that plants employ are: an alteration of the herbicide site of action, metabolism of the herbicide, and removal of the herbicide from the target site (sequestration).
Herbicide cross resistance refers to a weed or crop biotype that has evolved a mechanism or mechanisms of resistance to one herbicide that also allows it to be resistant to other herbicides. Cross resistance can occur with herbicides within the same or in different herbicide families and with the same or different sites of action. For example, after the extensive use of herbicide A in a field, selection of a weed biotype resistant to herbicide A is found to also be resistant to herbicide B, although herbicide B was never used in that field.
Herbicide multiple resistance refers to a weed or crop biotype that has evolved mechanisms of resistance to more than one herbicide and the resistance was brought about by separate selection processes. For example, after a weed or crop biotype developed resistance to herbicide A, then herbicide B was used and resistance evolved to herbicide B. The plant is now resistant to herbicides A and B through two separate selection processes.
Selection for change in weed populations begins when a small number of plants (a biotype) within a weed species have a genetic makeup that enables them to survive a particular herbicide application. Where this difference in genetic makeup originated is not clear. However, herbicides are not known to directly cause the genetic change (i.e. mutation) that allows resistance. The resistant biotype, therefore, is present in low numbers in natural populations and when a herbicide is applied, most of the susceptible weeds die but the few resistant weeds survive, mature, and produce seed. If the same herbicide continues to be applied and the resistant weeds reproduce, the percentage of the weed population that is resistant will increase (Figure 3).
It is difficult to predict exactly which weed species will have biotypes resistant to a given herbicide. However, we have learned from previous pesticide resistance problems that the occurrence of herbicide resistant weeds is linked directly to the herbicide program used, the weed species present, and the crop management practices employed.
Selection intensity acts, in a sense, like a filter that can screen out susceptible weed biotypes while leaving resistant biotypes. Herbicides by definition are effective weed killers; therefore, they have the potential to exert heavy selection intensity on weeds. The more susceptible a weed species is to a given herbicide (i.e. the greater the weed control) the greater the selection intensity. As a result, the rate of selection for resistance can be quite rapid if the same herbicide or herbicides with the same site of action are repeatedly used in a particular field.
With such highly effective herbicides, one would think that the increase in the number of herbicide resistant biotypes would be readily observable. This is not the case. Resistant biotypes generally are only detectable when they make up about 30% of the population. During the first several years of a weed control program that relies on only one herbicide, the proportion of resistant biotypes is very low (less than 1% of the population). As long as the application of this herbicide continues and the resistant biotypes reproduce, the proportion of the population that is resistant will increase. It is very common to go from excellent control of a particular weed species to very poor control within one growing season. A gradual decline in performance is seldom seen. Figure 4 illustrates the predicted rapid increase in the proportion of a kochia population that is resistant following repeated annual applications of the sulfonylurea herbicide Glean. In field situations, resistance to sulfonylurea herbicides has been reported to occur after 3 to 5 years of repeated use. With triazine herbicides, resistance has generally appeared after seven or more years of repeated use. Therefore, depending upon the proportion of the population that was initially resistant to a herbicide, repeated use of a product for more than two years could develop a herbicide resistance problem.
The herbicide characteristics that affect herbicide resistance are as follows:
Several herbicide families interfere with only a single site of action. Tables 2 - 5 and 7 - 9 list the herbicides associated with specific sites of action. Herbicides that interfere with single sites of action are generally more likely to select for resistant weeds because a change in only one gene may be enough to affect a herbicide's binding potential to the site of action. Therefore, it is more probable that a resistant weed population will develop if a difference of only one gene is required (Figure 5).
Based on the line of reasoning presented for single site of action herbicides, if a herbicide has multiple action sites it is less likely existing biotypes will have the genetic differences at all of the sites of action that will result in resistance (Figure 5). Therefore, it is less likely that weeds will evolve resistance to herbicides with multiple action sites. Tables 1 and 6 list herbicides with multiple sites of action.
A change in a site of action that results in resistance to a particular herbicide may or may not result in resistance to other herbicides that are active at the same site of action. The reason for this is there can be many different binding sites at a particular site of action (e.g. an enzyme) and those binding sites can be very herbicide specific. Therefore, several different herbicides may bind to the same enzyme but at different sites on the enzyme (Figure 6). As a result, it is not possible to predict herbicide cross resistance; however, the greatest potential for herbicide cross resistance exists among herbicides of the same family and having the same site of action.
To illustrate cross resistance, both the imidazolinone (e.g. Pursuit and Scepter) and sulfonylurea (e.g. Classic) herbicide families are ALS enzyme inhibitors (Table 2). However, imidazolinone resistant (IR) corn hybrids are resistant to imidazolinone herbicides and are cross resistant to the sulfonylurea herbicides. The imidazolinone tolerant (IT) corn hybrids are resistant to Pursuit and soil-applied Scepter but are not cross resistant to sulfonylurea herbicides.
Regardless of whether a herbicide is active at single or multiple site(s) of action, it is often metabolized by crops or weeds before reaching the primary site(s) of action. Therefore, the rate at which a herbicide is metabolized plays a key role in determining crop injury and weed control. The genetic regulation of a metabolic process will influence the likelihood of developing herbicide resistance due to altered metabolism. For example, a change in only one gene has altered the rate of metabolism of atrazine in some biotypes of atrazine-resistant velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti). Most metabolic processes are thought to be controlled by multiple genes, thereby reducing the probability but not eliminating the possibility of weed biotypes that are resistant to herbicides due to enhanced metabolic capabilities or altered metabolic processes. Metabolic resistance could be especially challenging if it were to occur, because a metabolic process often affects several families of herbicides that do not share a common site of action. Regardless of the resistance mechanism, the key to prevention of herbicide resistance is to reduce the selection intensity.
Weeds, by their nature, have a diverse genetic background that gives them the ability to adapt to many different environments. For example, the repeated mowing of a lawn selects for low growing plants that avoid or are not affected by repeated cutting. Therefore, it should not be surprising that weeds can adapt to certain herbicide programs. Weeds with a diverse genetic background may have a resistant biotype that has a 1 in 1 million chance of occurring within a weed population. Although these odds sound remote, a 1 in 1 million chance of occurrence can translate into a high probability of selecting for a herbicide resistant weed biotype unless proper methods to reduce selection intensity are used.
As a herbicide resistant biotype becomes more predominant in the weed population, two factors increase in importance:
The greater the reproductive success of the resistant biotype, the greater its potential to spread and become a dominant part of the population. Due to the extended viability of most weed seeds, once established, a herbicide resistant biotype will be difficult to eliminate from the population, even if extensive remedial weed control measures are used. Weeds such as kochia can tumble for miles spreading seed onto previously uninfested land. As a result of the diverse seed dispersal mechanisms of weeds, it is apparent that a farm manager must always use good herbicide resistance management strategies to prevent resistant biotypes from developing on the land and prohibit the establishment of resistant weed biotypes spreading from adjacent lands or from custom harvesting equipment and other machinery.
Before assuming that any weeds surviving a herbicide application are resistant, rule out other factors that might have affected herbicide performance. Several factors would be misapplication, unfavorable weather conditions, improper timing of herbicide application, and weed flushes after application of a non-residual herbicide. If resistance appears to be a likely possibility, check for the following:
If one or more of these three situations apply, it is possible that the weeds are resistant to the herbicide. If resistance is suspected, control the weeds with a labeled herbicide having another site of action or use appropriate nonchemical weed control methods to prevent the weeds from going to seed. Next, contact your local crop consultant or extension agent, state weed specialist, and the appropriate chemical company to develop a comprehensive weed control program to manage the problem.
Recent research efforts have been directed at breeding herbicide resistance into crops. For minor-use crops it may be more economical to breed herbicide resistance into a crop than to develop new selective herbicides for current crop varieties. For major-use crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat, herbicide resistant crops may be useful where difficult to control weeds or environmental conditions dictate the use of specific herbicides to which the crop is normally susceptible.
The use of herbicide resistant crops could enhance the potential for selecting for herbicide resistant weeds unless careful management practices are followed. The key, once again, is selection intensity. Misuse of herbicide resistant crops could encourage the use of a single herbicide or herbicide family over several crop rotations, thereby enhancing the selection intensity for herbicide resistant weeds.
Herbicide resistant crop varieties or hybrids need to be carefully evaluated for other performance characteristics (e.g. yield) and these characteristics should be compared to all other suitable hybrids or varieties in the marketplace, whether they have herbicide resistance or not. This will ensure that crop producers are getting the best overall agronomic value for their money. It will also be very important that accurate records be kept of the exact planting location of the herbicide resistant crops to avoid herbicide misapplication.
The North Central Weed Science Society (NCWSS) Herbicide Resistance Committee has developed the following list of strategies for avoiding and managing problems with herbicide resistant weed biotypes. Keep in mind that reliance upon any one strategy is not likely to be effective. The crop producer must use the following strategies in carefully selected combinations if herbicide resistant weed problems are to be avoided or properly managed.
The author would like to acknowledge the members of the 1991 and 1992 North Central Weed Science Society (NCWSS) Herbicide Resistance Committees who developed the ten management strategies for avoiding and managing herbicide resistant weeds listed in this publication and extensively reviewed this publication. The members are as follows: Thomas Bauman, T. Robert Dill, Ray Forney, R. Gordon Harvey (Chair-1991), Nick Jordan, Rex Liebl, Michael Owen, Jamie Retzinger, Dave Stoltenberg, G. Chris Weed, Phil Westra, Gail Wicks, and Bill Witt. It has been my pleasure to serve as Vice-chair and Chair of this committee in 1991 and 1992, respectively, and to work with these dedicated people.
The author would also like to thank the American Cyanamid Company for the use of Figures 3 and 5, B.D. Maxwell for Figure 4, and J.J. Kells for Figure 6.
Green, M.B., H.M. LeBaron, and W.K. Moberg (Editors), 1990. Managing Resistance to Agrochemicals: From Fundamental Research to Practical Strategies. American Chemical Society, Symposium Series No. 421. 496 pp.
Gressel, J. 1992. Addressing Real Weed Science Needs with Innovations. Weed Technology. Vol 6:509-525.
Gunsolus, J.L., and W.S. Curran. 1992 (revised). Herbicide Mode of Action and Injury Symptoms CD-ROM.
Maxwell, B.D., M.L. Roush, and S.R. Radesevich. 1990. Predicting the Evolution and Dynamics of Herbicide Resistance in Weed Populations. Weed Technology. Vol. 4:2- 13.
| Trade * Name | Common Name | Trade * Name | Common Name |
| Banvel | Dicamba | Stinger | Clopyralid |
| Butyrac | 2,4-DB | Tordon 22K ** | Picloram |
| Clarity | Dicamba | 2,4-D Amine, others | 2,4-D Amine |
| MCPA Amine, others | MCPA Amine | 2,4-D Ester, others | 2,4-D Ester |
| MCPA Ester, others | MCPA Ester | 2,4-DB | 2,4-DB |
| Trade * Name | Common Name | Trade *Name | Common Name |
| Accent | Nicosulfuron | Express | Tribenuron |
| Ally | Metsulfuron | Glean | Chlorsulfuron |
| Amber | Triasulfuron | Harmony | Thifensulfuron |
| Assert | Imazamethabenz | Harmony Extra | Tribenuron + Thifensulfuron |
| Beacon | Primisulfuron | Pinnacle | Thifensulfuron |
| Broadstrike | Flumetsulam | Pursuit | Imazethapyr |
| Classic | Chlorimuron | Scepter | Imazaquin |
| Trade * Name | Common Name | Trade * Name | Common Name |
| Honcho | Glyphosate | Rodeo | Glyphosate |
| Jury | Glyphosate | Roundup | Glyphosate |
| Mirage | Glyphosate | Ruler | Glyphosate |
| Ranger | Glyphosate | Show-Off | Glyphosate |
| Rattler | Glyphosate | Silhouette | Glyphosate |
| Trade * Name | Common Name | Trade * Name | Common Name |
| Assure II | Quizalofop | Option II | Fenoxaprop |
| Fusilade 2000 | Fluazifop | Poast | Sethoxydim |
| Fusilade DX | Fluazifop | Poast Plus | Sethoxydim |
| Fusion | Fluazifop + Fenoxaprop | Select | Clethodim |
| Hoelon ** | Diclofop | Whip | Fenoxaprop |
| Trade * Name | Common Name | Trade * Name | Common Name |
| Balan | Benefin | Treflan | Trifluralin |
| Basalin | Fluchloralin | Trific | Trifluralin |
| Prowl | Pendimethalin | Trillin | Trifluralin |
| Sonalan | Ethalfluralin |
| Trade * Name | Common Name | Trade * Name | Common Name |
| Arena ** | Alachlor | Frontier | Dimethenamid |
| Confidence ** | Alachlor | Harness Plus ** | Acetochlor + Safener |
| Cropstar ** | Alachlor | Judge ** | Alachlor |
| Dual | Metolachlor | Lasso ** | Alachlor |
| Eptam | EPTC | Partner ** | Alachlor |
| Eradicane | EPTC + Dichlormid | Ramrod | Propachlor |
| Eradicane Extra | EPTC + Dichlormid + Dietholate | Stall ** | Alachlor |
| Far-Go | Triallate | Surpass ** | Acetochlor + Dichlormid |
| Sutan | Butylate + Dichlormid |
| Trade * Name | Common Name | Trade * Name | Common Name |
| Atrazine ** | Atrazine | Lexone | Metribuzin |
| Basagran | Bentazon | Linex | Linuron |
| Bladex ** | Cyanazine | Lorox | Linuron |
| Buctril | Bromoxynil | Princep | Simazine |
| Buctril-Atrazine ** | Bromoxynil + Atrazine | Sencor | Metribuzin |
| Evik | Ametryn | Sinbar | Terbacil |
| Extrazine II ** | Cyanazine + Atrazine | Spike | Tebuthiuron |
| Hyvar XL | Bromacil | Tough | Pyridate |
| Laddok ** | Bentazon + Atrazine | Velpar | Hexazinone |
| Trade * Name | Common Name | Trade * Name | Common Name |
| Activated by Photosystem I | Inhibit Protoporhyrinogen Oxidase | ||
| Avenge | Difenzoquat | Blazer | Acifluorfen |
| Cyclone ** | Paraquat | Cobra | Lactofen |
| Gramoxone Extra ** | Paraquat | Reflex | Fomesafen |
| Trade * Name | Common Name | Trade * Name | Common Name |
| Command | Clomazone | Zorial | Norflurazon |
| Trade * Name | Common Name | Reference Table | Trade * Name | Common Name | Reference Table |
| Bicep ** | Atrazine + Metolachlor | 7 + 6 | Galaxy | Bentazon + Acifluorfen | 7 + 8 |
| Broadstrike + Dual | Flumetsulam + Metolachlor | 2 + 6 | Gemini | Linuron + Chlorimuron | 7 + 2 |
| Broadstrike + Treflan | Flumetsulam + Trifluralin | 2 + 5 | Harmony Extra | Tribenuron + Thifensulfuron | 2 + 2 |
| Bronate | Bromoxynil + MCPA | 7 + 1 | Laddok ** | Bentazon + Atrazine | 7 + 7 |
| Bronco ** | Alachlor + Glyphosate | 6 + 3 | Landmaster | Glyphosate + 2,4-D | 3 + 1 |
| Buckle | Triallate + Trifluralin | 6 + 5 | Lariat ** | Alachlor + Atrazine | 6 + 7 |
| Buctril-Atrazine ** | Bromoxynil + Atrazine | 7 + 7 | Lasso + Atrazine ** | Alachlor + Atrazine | 6 + 7 |
| Bullet ** | Alachlor + Atrazine | 6 + 7 | Lorox Plus | Linuron + Chlorimuron | 7 + 2 |
| Cannon ** | Alachlor + Trifluralin | 6 + 5 | Marksman ** | Dicamba + Atrazine | 1 + 7 |
| Canopy | Chlorimuron + Metribuzin | 2 + 7 | Passport | Trifluralin + Imazethapyr | 5 + 2 |
| Cheyenne TP ** | Fenoxaprop + MCPA ester + Thifensulfuron + Tribenuron | 4 + 1 + 2 +2 | Preview | Metribuzin + Chlorimuron | 7 + 2 |
| Commence | Clomazone + Trifluralin | 9 + 5 | Prozine ** | Pendimethalin + Atrazine | 5 + 7 |
| Concert | Chlorimuron + Thifensulfuron | 2 + 2 | Pursuit Plus | Imazethapyr + Pendimethalin | 2 + 5 |
| Crossbow | Triclopyr + 2,4-D ester | 1 + 1 | Ramrod + Atrazine ** | Propachlor + Atrazine | 6 + 7 |
| Curtail | Clopyralid + 2,4-D amine | 1 + 1 | Salute | Trifluralin + Metribuzin | 5 + 7 |
| Curtail M | Clopyralid + MCPA ester | 1 + 1 | Squadron | Imazaquin + Pendimethalin | 2 + 5 |
| Cycle ** | Metolachlor + Cyanazine | 6 + 7 | Storm | Acifluorfen + Bentazon | 8 + 7 |
| Dakota TP | Fenoxaprop + MCPA ester | 4 + 1 | Sutazine ** | Butylate + Atrazine | 6 + 7 |
| Extrazine II ** | Cyanazine + Atrazine | 7 + 7 | Synchrony STS | Chlorimuron + Thifensulfuron | 2 + 2 |
| Fallow Master | Glyphosate + Dicamba | 3 + 1 | Tiller | Fenoxaprop + 2,4-D + MCPA | 4 + 1 +1 |
| Finesse | Chlorsulfuron + Metsulfuron | 2 +2 | Tornado | Fluazifop + Fomesafen | 4 + 8 |
| Freedom ** | Alachlor + Trifluralin | 6 + 5 | Tri-Scept | Imazaquin + Trifluralin | 2 + 5 |
| Fusion | Fluazifop + Fenoxaprop | 4 + 4 | Turbo | Metolachlor + Metribuzin | 6 + 7 |
* Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the University of Minnesota Extension Service is implied.
** Restricted Use Herbicide
Jeff Gunsolus
Extension Agronomist
Weed Science
Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics

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