Understanding auxinic herbicide resistance in kochia and staying ahead of what's next

Term: 4 years, beginning in 2020

Status: Ongoing

Funding Amount: $50,000

Lead Researcher(s): Dr. Charles Geddes (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge)

Funding Partners: Agriculture Development Fund - Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Alberta Wheat Commission, Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association, Sask Barley Development Commission, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers

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Project Description

Kochia is one of the biggest agricultural weed problems in the southern Canadian prairies due to increased abundance of herbicide-resistant (HR) biotypes. The overall goals of this research project are to improve the understanding of synthetic auxin resistance in kochia; to determine how quickly this type of resistance will spread; to develop effective tools for management of these biotypes and, to stay ahead of potential new types of herbicide resistance through intensive population screening efforts. The key objectives include: 1) to develop a new surveillance program to assess for protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) inhibitor resistant kochia in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba and this will be the first assessment in North America for PPO inhibitor resistance in kochia; 2) to assess kochia populations for cross-resistance to other synthetic auxin herbicides, herbicide mixtures and usage windows; 3) to confirm whether the efficacy of dichlorprop in managing kochia is consistent among multiple auxinic herbicide-resistant kochia populations found in western Canada and 4) to determine whether dicamba or fluroxypyr resistance traits in kochia confer fitness penalties. The proposed research will help farmers and agricultural industry understand which herbicide active ingredients and usage scenarios remain effective for management of multiple-HR kochia.