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Title: Glyphosate-Resistant Crops and Weeds: Now and in the Future

Author
item Duke, Stephen
item POWLES, STEPHEN - University Of Western Australia

Submitted to: Agbioforum
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/2/2009
Publication Date: 11/11/2009
Citation: Duke, S.O., Powles, S.B. 2009. Glyphosate-Resistant Crops and Weeds: Now and in the Future. Agbioforum. 12(3&4):346-357.

Interpretive Summary: Glyphosate-resistant crops (GRCs) represent more than 80% of the 120 million ha of transgenic crops grown annually world-wide. This single trait has been enthusiastically adopted in soybean, maize, cotton, canola, and sugarbeet in large part because of the economic advantage of the technology, in addition to the simple and superior weed control that it delivers. Furthermore, the GRC/glyphosate technology is generally more environmentally benign than the weed management technologies that it replaced. In the Americas, except for Canada, adoption has meant continuous and intense selection pressure with glyphosate, resulting in rapid evolution of glyphosate-resistant weeds and shifts to weed species that have some natural level of resistance to the herbicide. This development is jeopardizing the benefits of this valuable technology. New transgenic crops with resistance to other herbicide classes, in some cases coupled with glyphosate resistance, will be introduced soon. If used wisely, these tools can be integrated into resistance management and prevention strategies. Greater diversity in weed management technologies is badly needed to preserve the utility of the GRC/glyphosate technology.

Technical Abstract: Glyphosate-resistant crops (GRCs) represent more than 80% of the 120 million ha of transgenic crops grown annually world-wide. This single trait has been enthusiastically adopted in soybean, maize, cotton, canola, and sugarbeet in large part because of the economic advantage of the technology, in addition to the simple and superior weed control that it delivers. Furthermore, the GRC/glyphosate technology is generally more environmentally benign than the weed management technologies that it replaced. In the Americas, except for Canada, adoption has meant continuous and intense selection pressure with glyphosate, resulting in rapid evolution of glyphosate-resistant weeds and shifts to weed species that have some natural level of resistance to the herbicide. This development is jeopardizing the benefits of this valuable technology. New transgenic crops with resistance to other herbicide classes, in some cases coupled with glyphosate resistance, will be introduced soon. If used wisely, these tools can be integrated into resistance management and prevention strategies. Greater diversity in weed management technologies is badly needed to preserve the utility of the GRC/glyphosate technology.