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Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Protocols for Robust Herbicide Resistance Testing in Different Weed Species
Published on: July 2, 2015
Resistance to PPO-inhibiting herbicide in Palmer amaranth from Arkansas
Reiofeli A Salas1, Nilda R Burgos1, Patrick J Tranel2
1Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
Background:
The widespread occurrence of ALS inhibitor- and glyphosate-resistant Amaranthus palmeri has led to increasing use of protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO)-inhibiting herbicides in cotton and soybean. Studies were conducted to confirm resistance to fomesafen (a PPO inhibitor), determine the resistance frequency, examine the resistance profile to other foliar-applied herbicides and investigate the resistance mechanism of resistant plants in a population collected in 2011 (AR11-LAW B) and its progenies from two cycles of fomesafen selection (C1 and C2).
Results:
The frequency of fomesafen-resistant plants increased from 5% in the original AR11-LAW-B to 17% in the C2 population. The amounts of fomesafen that caused 50% growth reduction were 6-, 13- and 21-fold greater in AR11-LAW-B, C1 and C2 populations, respectively, than in the sensitive ecotype. The AR11-LAW-B population was sensitive to atrazine, dicamba, glufosinate, glyphosate and mesotrione but resistant to ALS-inhibiting herbicides pyrithiobac and trifloxysulfuron. Fomesafen survivors from C1 and C2 populations tested positive for the PPO glycine 210 deletion previously reported in waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus).
Conclusion:
These studies confirmed that Palmer amaranth in Arkansas has evolved resistance to foliar-applied PPO-inhibiting herbicide.

