Control of Alopecurus myosuroides (black-grass) resistant to mesosulfuron+iodosulfuron

Resistance to the ALS inhibitor mesosulfuron+iodosulfuron ('Atlantis') had been identified in 293 populations of A. myosuroides in the UK by 2008. Two field trials were conducted in winter wheat crops where ALS target site resistance (Pro197Thr) occurred. Mesosulfuron+iodosulfuron (12+2.4 g a.i. ha(-1)) gave 73% - 79% reductions in head numbers in Town Mead field, but only -7% - 5% reductions in Long Covert. Mixtures and sequences improved overall control. Pre-emergence flufenacet+pendimethalin (240+1200 g a.i. ha(-1)) followed by mesosulfuron+ iodosulfuron plus pendimethalin (1320 g a.i. ha(-1)) or clodinafop+trifluralin (30+960 g a.i. ha(-1)) gave 93 - 98% reductions in Town Mead but only 60 - 73% reductions in Long Covert. A non-ALS treatment of pre-emergence flufenacet+pendimethalin followed by isoproturon+pendimethalin (1500+1320 g a.i. ha(-1)) in late October and clodinafop+trifluralin in November or February achieved 97% and 93% reductions in the two trials. Seed samples collected from surviving plants were evaluated in glasshouse assays to quantify any changes in the incidence of resistance. There was an increase in the proportion of plants resistant to mesosulfuron+iodosulfuron regardless of whether it was used alone, in mixture or sequence. No such changes occured with non-ALS treatments. The trials highlight the difficulty of achieving adequate control with alternative herbicides, especially as isoproturon and trifluralin will not be available for use in the UK after 2009.