Mechanisms of resistance to acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase-inhibiting herbicides in a Hordeum leporinum population

A failure of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicides to control a population of Hordeum leporinum Link (barleygrass) occurred following eight applications of these herbicides in both crops and pastures. This population was 7.6-fold resistant to fluazifop-P-butyl compared with standard susceptible populations. The population was between 3.6- and 3.8-fold resistant to other ACCase-inhibiting herbicides, except butroxydim to which it was susceptible. ACCase extracted from resistant plants and assayed in the presence of herbicides in vitro was susceptible to fluazifop acid and other aryloxyphenoxypropanoate herbicides, but was 4-fold less sensitive to sethoxydim compared with ACCase from susceptible plants. Resistant plants metabolised fluazifop acid about 1.3-fold more rapidly compared with susceptible plants; however, sethoxydim was metabolised equally in both populations. Resistance to fluazifop-P-butyl and other aryloxyphenoxypropanoate herbicides may be the result of increased herbicide detoxification, whereas resistance to sethoxydim appears to be due to a modified target enzyme. Herbicide resistance in this population is unusual in that different mechanisms appear to confer resistance to the aryloxyphenoxypropanoate and cyclohexanedione herbicides. (C) 2000 Society of Chemical Industry