Echinochloa colona

ABC transporter genes are present in plants and now a specific ABC transporter has been shown to endow resistance to the herbicide glyphosate, in a similar way to the way these ABC transporters can give resistance to anti-cancer drugs in humans. This is the first time that a plant ABC transporter has been found responsible for herbicide resistance. 

Earlier papers by Gaines et al 2012 Weed Technology and Goh et al 2016 Pest Management Science, documented a glyphosate resistance Echinochloa population from the irrigated north-west Ord River irrigation region of Western Australia. AHRI PhD student Sou Sheng Goh studied this population for his PhD research. Among other studies, Goh completed excellent work to identify the mechanistic basis of glyphosate resistance in this Echinochloa population. Goh examined for but did not find EPSPS resistance gene mutations and/or EPSPS gene amplification. Thus Goh established that glyphosate resistance in this particular resistant biotype is NON-target site based. 

This study confirms and characterises glyphosate resistance in two polyploid Echinochloa colona populations from north-eastern Australia.

The objective of this study was to determine whether a junglerice population from the tropical Ord River region of northwest Australia was glyphosate resistant, and whether alternative herbicides labeled for junglerice control were still effective.