Molecular basis of metabolic herbicide resistance in weeds for quick diagnosis and sustainable food production

The RyC2018 grant allows Dr. Joel Torra to develop its own research line based on unravelling the resistance mechanisms that can evolve in weeds to herbicides under high selection pressures. This knowledge is crucial to optimize the chemical inputs in crops and design improved integrated weed management (IWM) strategies to manage herbicide resistant weeds for a more sustainable food production. He is studying the evolution of resistance mechanisms in several important weed species, such as Papaver rhoeas, Lolium rigidum, Echinochloa sp. or Amaranthus palmeri, among others. The research focus is to decipher how degrading herbicides routes involving cytochrome P450 or gluthatione-S-transferase enzyme families can confer resistance to different herbicides. Moreover, field studies are underway to design better IWM programs based on all this knowledge to implement in decision support tools. Furthermore, research is under progress with the aim of developing quick detection tools of herbicide resistance for the main Spanish herbicide resistant weeds. All this information and tools will become mandatory for timely assessment of farmers to manage herbicide resistant weed populations, since enhanced metabolism can confer resistance to herbicides from different groups and chemistries, to those never applied so far, and even to those not marketed yet.