Sulfonylurea resistance in Stellaria media [L.] Vill.

Summary A sulfonylurea resistant biotype of common chickweed (Stellaria media L. Vill.) was found in a field treated with chlorsulfuron or metsulfuron for eight consecutive years. In pot experiments the biotype was resistant to postemergence treatments with the following acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors: chlorsulfuron, metsulfuron, tribenuron, triasulfuron, rimsulfuron, sulfometuron, flumetsulam and imazapyr. The level of resistance to chlorsulfuron and sulfometuron was higher than to the other sulfonylurea herbicides. Whereas the level of cross resistance to the triazolopyrimidine herbicide, flumetsulam was comparable to that of metsulfuron, that of imazapyr was significantly lower. In contrast to imazapyr the biotype was not resistant to imazethapyr, an other imidazolinone herbicide. ALS in vitro assays revealed that resistance was due to an ALS enzyme that was less sensitive to ALS inhibiting herbicides. Herbicides with different modes of action were equally effective on the susceptible and resistant biotypes.