Sulfonylurea resistance in Amaranthus hybridus from southern Brazil

Amaranthus hybridus is a C4 broadleaf species widely spread across Brazilian agricultural territory. Recently, several herbicide resistance reports have been documented in southern Brazil, including the reports for enolpyruvilshikymate-3-phosphate (EPSPS)- and acetolactate-synthase (ALS)- inhibitors. The objective of this study was to confirm the existence of an ALS resistant (R) A. hybridus population from Paraná state. Dose-response experiments were conducted with R and a known susceptible (S) population with herbicides from three different chemical groups of ALS inhibitors. Biomass relative to untreated control was quantified and GR50 (dose for 50% of biomass reduction), GR90 (dose for 90% of biomass reduction) and resistant index (RI) were calculated based on non-linear regression analysis. The R population was 6.9-fold resistant to chlorimuron-ethyl and 6.5-fold resistant to metsulfuron-ethyl (sulfonylureas - SUL). Additionally, the recommended rates from each herbicide was not sufficient to reach 90% control to R based on GR90 parameter estimation. There was no resistance to imazethapyr (imidazolinone - IMI) and cloransulan-methyl (triazolopyrimidine - TRI) due to the low doses of GR90 and non-significant RIs. The R A. hybridus population investigated was resistant to ALS inhibitors chlorimuron-ethyl and metsulfuron-ethyl (SUL), but susceptible to IMI and TRI herbicides.