Lynn M Sosnoskie, Weed Ecology and Management for Specialty Crops
School of Integrative Plant Science – Horticulture Section
Weeds compete with crops for light, water, and nutrients, which can result in yield reductions. Weeds can also interfere with crop production by serving as alternate hosts for pests and pathogens, providing habitat for rodents, and impeding harvest operations. Consequently, growers employ a variety of control strategies, including the application of herbicides, to manage unwanted vegetation. Although herbicides can be extremely effective at controlling undesirable plants, failures can and do occur. Weeds may escape chemical treatments for many reasons including the evolution of herbicide resistance.
Worldwide, there are 512 confirmed cases (species x site of action) of herbicide resistance. With respect to the United States, 165 unique instances of resistance have been documented. In New York, there are only four formally reported occurrences; these include common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album), smooth pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus), common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) and common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris). All were described as being insensitive to the photosystem II inhibitors (e.g. atrazine and simazine).
This, however, does not reflect the current on-the-ground situation in the state; work done by Drs. Julie Kikkert (CCE) and Robin Bellinder (Cornell) indicates resistance to linuron in some populations of Powell amaranth (Amaranthus powelli). Recent studies by Drs. Bryan Brown (NYS IPM) and Antonio DiTommaso (Cornell) suggest that horseweed (Conyza canadensis) and waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) populations may be resistant to one or more herbicide active ingredients. Pennsylvania has nine reported cases of herbicide resistance including glyphosate resistance in Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri), which was recently identified here in NY. While it is tempting to believe that herbicide resistance is a hallmark of agronomic cropping systems, resistance can and has developed in orchards, vineyards, vegetable crops, pastures, and along roadsides.
Beginning in 2020, we will undertake a screening effort to describe the distribution of herbicide resistance in the state. This coming summer and fall, growers, crop consultants and allied industry personnel who suspect they have herbicide resistance are encouraged to contact Dr. Lynn Sosnoskie (lms438@cornell.edu, 315-787-2231) to arrange for weed seed collection. Indicators of possible herbicide resistance include:
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- Dead weeds intermixed with live plants of the same species.
- A weed patch that occurs in the same place and continues to expand, yearly.
- A field where many weed species are controlled but a previously susceptible species is not.
- Reduced weed control that cannot be explained by skips, nozzle clogs, weather events, herbicide rate or adjuvant selection, and calibration or application issues.
Growers can take several actions to stop the spread of herbicide resistant weeds and to prevent the development of new ones. First and foremost is scouting fields following herbicide applications and keeping careful records of herbicide performance to quickly identify weed control failure. Pesticide applicators should ensure that their equipment is properly calibrated and that they are applying effective herbicides at appropriate rates to manage the target species. Whenever possible, diversify herbicides to reduce chemical selection pressures that result from the repeated use of a single herbicide or site of action. If possible, incorporate physical and cultural weed control practices into a vegetation management plan. Be sure to control unwanted plants when they are small and never allow escapes to set seed. Clean equipment to prevent seeds of herbicide-resistant weed species from moving between infested and non-infested sites and harvest areas with suspected resistant populations, last.
