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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #250049
Title: Herbicide-Resistance in Crops and Weeds: A Historical and Current Perspective

Author
item VENCILL, W.K. - University Of Georgia
item NICHOLS, R.L. - Cotton, Inc
item SOTERES, J. - Monsanto Corporation
item Webster, Theodore
item MALLORY-SMITH, C. - Oregon State University
item BURGOS, N. - University Of Arkansas
item JOHNSON, W. - Purdue University

Submitted to: Weed Science Society of America Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/26/2010
Publication Date: 2/1/2010
Citation: Vencill, W., Nichols, R., Soteres, J., Webster, T.M., Mallory-Smith, C., Burgos, N., Johnson, W. 2010. Herbicide-Resistance in Crops and Weeds: A Historical and Current Perspective. Preceedings of the Weed Science Society of America. Symposium 1.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Herbicides are the principal economic means of weed management on >90% of U.S. farmland. Herbicide-resistant crop cultivars have been used widely since 1995. Pest disciplines and other life sciences have various definitions of resistance that share commonalities. Development of herbicide resistant weeds occurs independently from the utilization of herbicide-resistant crop cultivars and has been an issue facing farmers before the introduction of herbicide-resistant cultivars. However, the rapid, large-scale adoption of a small group of highly effective herbicide-resistant crop cultivars has narrowed the range of herbicide modes of action commonly used for weed management today. Introduction of herbicide-resistance traits in crop cultivars has raised concerns about flow of resistant genes to weedy relatives of crops and the propagation of volunteer herbicide-resistant crops as weeds. While the introduction of herbicide-resistant crops has positive farmer and environmental benefits, such benefits are threatened by weed resistance. Use of integrated weed management techniques, especially using more than one herbicide mode of action within a season and/or rotating herbicide modes of action among fields between seasons are two ways that will slow development of resistant weeds. Failure to implement integrated weed management practices will lead to emergence of greater weed resistance, presenting significant economic challenges for farmers.