Researchers from the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative report on the first confirmed case of a weed, Indian goosegrass (Eleusine indica), resistant to three non-selective herbicides, glufosinate, glyphosate, and paraquat along with several ACCase inhibitor herbicides (Jalaludin et al., 2014). The goosegrass population was initially reported in Malaysia by a vegetable farmer and a planter from an oil palm nursery (Jalaludin et al. 2010).

In the United States, E. indica occurs in forty five of the fifty states. In Wisconsin, populations have been identified in the following counties: Columbia, Dane, Grant, Lafayette, Rock, Kenosha, and Milwaukee. The first documented case of herbicide resistant E. indica was from North Carolina in 1973 and the latest confirmation was in 2011 (Heap, 2015).

The amount of glufosinate to kill half of the tested resistant plants was equivalent to applying 40 fl oz per acre (e.g. Liberty 280 SL). The maximum rate for the season in corn is 36 fl oz per acre. The next generation of plants from the resistant population required 657 fl oz per acre of glyphosate (i.e. Roundup Powermax) to kill half of the tested population. These plants also were twice as resistant to paraquat compared to the susceptible plants. Half of the resistant population survived applications of the ACCase inhibitors- haloxyfop-P-methyl (e.g. Verdict) and fluazifop-P-butyl (e.g. Fusilade).

1. Heap, I. 2015 The International Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds. Online. Available at www.weedscience.org
2. Jalaludin, A.; Ngim, J.; Baki, BB.; Zazali, A. 2010 “Preliminary findings of potentially resistant goosegrass (Eleusine indica) to glufosinate-ammonium in Malaysia.” Weed Biology and Management 10: 256-260.
3. Jalaludin, A.; Yu, Q.; Powles, S.B. 2014 “Multiple resistance across glufosinate, glyphosate, paraquat, and ACCase-inhibiting herbicides in an Eleusine indica population” Weed Research 55: 82-89.

For more information about herbicide resistance management, please visit our documents page, video page and/or the TakeAction on Weeds website.

This article was posted in WCWS and tagged Agriculture, Eleusine indica, goosegrass, herbicide, herbicide resistance, Pesticide, research, Weed.