Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 January 2017
Resistance to glyphosate in hairy fleabane and horseweed is a problem inorchards and vineyards in California. Population genetic analyses suggestthat glyphosate resistance evolved multiple times in both species, but it isunknown if resistance to other herbicides is also present. Two approaches ofresearch were undertaken to further evaluate herbicide resistance in Conyza sp. in the perennial crop systems of California.In the initial study, the distribution of Conyza sp. in theCentral Valley, using a semistructured field survey, was coupled withevaluation of the presence and level of glyphosate resistance in plantsgrown from field-collected seed. In a subsequent study, single-seeddescendants representing distinct genetic groups were self-pollinated in thegreenhouse and these accessions were evaluated for response to glyphosateand paraquat. Conyza sp. were commonly found throughout theCentral Valley and glyphosate-resistant individuals were confirmed in allfield collections of both species. The level of glyphosate resistance amongfield collections varied from 5- to 21-fold compared with 50% glyphosateresistance (GR50) of the susceptible, with exception of oneregion with a GR50 similar to the susceptible. Whenself-pollinated accessions from different genetic groups were screened, thelevel of glyphosate resistance, on the basis of GR50 values,ranged from 1.7- to 42.5-fold in hairy fleabane, and 5.9- to 40.3-fold inhorseweed. Three accessions of hairy fleabane from different genetic groupswere also resistant to paraquat (40.1- to 352.5-fold). Oneglyphosate-resistant horseweed accession was resistant to paraquat(322.8-fold), which is the first confirmed case in California. Allparaquat-resistant accessions of Conyza sp. identified sofar have also been resistant to glyphosate, probably because glyphosateresistance is already widespread in the state. Because glyphosate andparaquat resistances are found across a wide geographical range and inaccessions from distinct genetic groups, multiple resistant Conyza sp. likely developed independently several timesin California.
Associate Editor for this paper: Vijay Nandula, Mississippi State University.