Herbicide Cross-Resistance in Triazine-Resistant Biotypes of Four Species

Abstract

The cross-resistance of triazine-resistant biotypes of smooth pigweed (Amaranthus hybridusL. # AMACH), common lambsquarters (Chenopodium albumL. # CHEAL), common groundsel (Senecio vulgarisL. # SENVU), and the crop canola (Brassica napusL. var. Atratower) to a selection of herbicides was evaluated at both the whole plant and chloroplast level. The triazine-resistant biotypes of all four species showed a similar pattern of cross-resistance, suggesting that a similar mutation had occurred in each species. The four triazine-resistant biotypes were resistant to injury from atrazine [6-chloro-N-ethyl-N′-(1-methylethyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine], bromacil [5-bromo-6-methyl-3-(1-methylpropyl)-2,4-(1H,3H)pyrimidinedione], and pyrazon [5-amino-4-chloro-2-phenyl-3(2H)-pyridazinone] and were slightly resistant to buthidazole {3-[5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl]-4-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-imidazolidinone}. The triazine-resistant biotypes were more sensitive to dinoseb [2-(1-methylpropyl)-4,6-dinitrophenol]. Triazine-resistant smooth pigweed showed resistance to cyanazine {2-[[4-chloro-6-(ethylamino)-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl] amino]-2-methylpropanenitrile} and metribuzin [4-amino-6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-(methylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one] with slight resistance to linuron [N′-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N-methoxy-N-methylurea] and desmedipham {ethyl [3-[[(phenylamino)carbony] oxy] phenyl] carbamate}. There was little or no resistance to diuron [N′-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N,N-dimethylurea], bromoxynil (3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile), bentazon [3-(1-methylethyl)-(1H)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazin-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide], or dicamba (3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid). Parallel studies at the chloroplast level indicated that the degree of resistance to inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport was highly correlated with the degree of resistance to herbicidal injury. This correlation indicates that atrazine, cyanazine, metribuzin, pyrazon, bromacil, linuron, desmedipham, and buthidazole cause plant injury by inhibition of photosynthesis. This correlation also indicates that triazine resistance and cross-resistance at the whole plant level is due to decreased sensitivity at the level of photosynthetic electron transport. Cross-resistance to numerous additional herbicides was evaluated on isolated chloroplast thylakoid membranes and these results are discussed.14C-atrazine was displaced from thylakoid membranes by several herbicides, indicating that these herbicides compete for a common binding site.