Abstract

Intense selection by pesticides and antibiotics has resulted in a global epidemic of evolved resistance. In agriculture and medicine, using mixtures of compounds from different classes is widely accepted as optimal resistance management. However, this strategy may promote the evolution of more generalist resistance mechanisms. Here we test this hypothesis at a national scale in an economically important agricultural weed: blackgrass (Alopecurus myosuroides), for which herbicide resistance is a major economic issue. Our results reveal that greater use of herbicide mixtures is associated with lower levels of specialist resistance mechanisms, but higher levels of a generalist mechanism implicated in enhanced metabolism of herbicides with diverse modes of action. Our results indicate a potential evolutionary trade-off in resistance management, whereby attempts to reduce selection for specialist resistance traits may promote the evolution of generalist resistance. We contend that where specialist and generalist resistance mechanisms co-occur, similar trade-offs will be evident, calling into question the ubiquity of resistance management based on mixtures and combination therapies.

Mixtures of antibiotics or pesticides can help reduce the evolution of resistance to individual compounds. Here, Comont et al. show that in blackgrass, an important agricultural weed, herbicide mixtures do reduce specialized resistance but instead can select for a generalized resistance mechanism.

Details

Title
Evolution of generalist resistance to herbicide mixtures reveals a trade-off in resistance management
Author
Comont, David 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Lowe, Claudia 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Hull, Richard 1 ; Crook, Laura 1 ; Hicks, Helen L 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Nawaporn, Onkokesung 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Beffa Roland 4 ; Childs, Dylan Z 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Edwards, Robert 3 ; Freckleton, Robert P 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Neve, Paul 6 

 Rothamsted Research, Department of Biointeractions and Crop Protection, Harpenden, UK (GRID:grid.418374.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2227 9389) 
 University of Sheffield, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, South Yorkshire, UK (GRID:grid.11835.3e) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 9262); School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, UK (GRID:grid.12361.37) (ISNI:0000 0001 0727 0669) 
 Newcastle University, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle, UK (GRID:grid.1006.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 0462 7212) 
 Bayer Crop Science, Weed Resistance Research, Frankfurt, Germany (GRID:grid.1006.7) 
 University of Sheffield, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, South Yorkshire, UK (GRID:grid.11835.3e) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 9262) 
 Rothamsted Research, Department of Biointeractions and Crop Protection, Harpenden, UK (GRID:grid.418374.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2227 9389); Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board, Kenilworth, UK (GRID:grid.420736.4) 
Publication year
2020
Publication date
2020
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20411723
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2414579721
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.