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Varah A, Ahodo K, Childs DZ, Comont D, Crook L, Freckleton RP, Goodsell R, Hicks HL, Hull R, Neve P, Norris K. Acting pre-emptively reduces the long-term costs of managing herbicide resistance. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6201. [PMID: 38485959 PMCID: PMC10940647 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56525-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Globally, pesticides improve crop yields but at great environmental cost, and their overuse has caused resistance. This incurs large financial and production losses but, despite this, very diversified farm management that might delay or prevent resistance is uncommon in intensive farming. We asked farmers to design more diversified cropping strategies aimed at controlling herbicide resistance, and estimated resulting weed densities, profits, and yields compared to prevailing practice. Where resistance is low, it is financially viable to diversify pre-emptively; however, once resistance is high, there are financial and production disincentives to adopting diverse rotations. It is therefore as important to manage resistance before it becomes widespread as it is to control it once present. The diverse rotations targeting high resistance used increased herbicide application frequency and volume, contributing to these rotations' lack of financial viability, and raising concerns about glyphosate resistance. Governments should encourage adoption of diverse rotations in areas without resistance. Where resistance is present, governments may wish to incentivise crop diversification despite the drop in wheat production as it is likely to bring environmental co-benefits. Our research suggests we need long-term, proactive, food security planning and more integrated policy-making across farming, environment, and health arenas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa Varah
- Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, UK.
| | - Kwadjo Ahodo
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, UK
| | - Dylan Z Childs
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - David Comont
- Department of Protecting Crops and the Environment, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Laura Crook
- Department of Protecting Crops and the Environment, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Robert P Freckleton
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Rob Goodsell
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helen L Hicks
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus, Southwell, UK
| | - Richard Hull
- Department of Protecting Crops and the Environment, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Paul Neve
- Department of Protecting Crops and the Environment, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Hoejbakkegaard Alle, 2630, Taastrup, Denmark
| | - Ken Norris
- Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, UK
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2
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Harrison C, Noleto-Dias C, Ruvo G, Hughes DJ, Smith DP, Mead A, Ward JL, Heuer S, MacGregor DR. The mechanisms behind the contrasting responses to waterlogging in black-grass ( Alopecurus myosuroides) and wheat ( Triticum aestivum). FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2024; 51:FP23193. [PMID: 38417910 DOI: 10.1071/fp23193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides ) is one of the most problematic agricultural weeds of Western Europe, causing significant yield losses in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum ) and other crops through competition for space and resources. Previous studies link black-grass patches to water-retaining soils, yet its specific adaptations to these conditions remain unclear. We designed pot-based waterlogging experiments to compare 13 biotypes of black-grass and six cultivars of wheat. These showed that wheat roots induced aerenchyma when waterlogged whereas aerenchyma-like structures were constitutively present in black-grass. Aerial biomass of waterlogged wheat was smaller, whereas waterlogged black-grass was similar or larger. Variability in waterlogging responses within and between these species was correlated with transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in leaves of control or waterlogged plants. In wheat, transcripts associated with regulation and utilisation of phosphate compounds were upregulated and sugars and amino acids concentrations were increased. Black-grass biotypes showed limited molecular responses to waterlogging. Some black-grass amino acids were decreased and one transcript commonly upregulated was previously identified in screens for genes underpinning metabolism-based resistance to herbicides. Our findings provide insights into the different waterlogging tolerances of these species and may help to explain the previously observed patchiness of this weed's distribution in wheat fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Harrison
- Rothamsted Research, Protecting Crops and the Environment, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Clarice Noleto-Dias
- Rothamsted Research, Plant Sciences for the Bioeconomy, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Gianluca Ruvo
- Rothamsted Research, Plant Sciences for the Bioeconomy, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - David J Hughes
- Rothamsted Research, Intelligent Data Ecosystems, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Daniel P Smith
- Rothamsted Research, Intelligent Data Ecosystems, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Andrew Mead
- Rothamsted Research, Intelligent Data Ecosystems, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Jane L Ward
- Rothamsted Research, Plant Sciences for the Bioeconomy, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Sigrid Heuer
- International Consultant Crop Improvement and Food Security, Harpenden, UK
| | - Dana R MacGregor
- Rothamsted Research, Protecting Crops and the Environment, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK
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3
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de Souza Rodrigues J, Shilling D, Tishchenko V, Bowen S, Deng S, Hall DB, Grey TL. Early growth, development and allometry of glyphosate-resistant and susceptible Amaranthus palmeri in response to current and elevated temperature and CO 2. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14427. [PMID: 37660074 PMCID: PMC10475059 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41121-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the influence of CO2 and temperature on glyphosate-resistant and susceptible biotypes of Amaranthus palmeri (Palmer amaranth) in terms of morphological development. Height (cm), stem diameter (cm), leaf area (cm2), number of leaves, leaf, stem, and root dry matter, plant volume (m3), as well as shoot-to-root allometry were evaluated. The Palmer amaranth biotypes were grown under four different scenarios: 1-low temperature (23/33 °C) and CO2 (410 ± 25 ppm); 2-low temperature (23/33 °C) and high CO2 (750 ± 25 ppm); 3-high temperature (26/36 °C) and low CO2 (410 ± 25 ppm); and 4-high temperature (26/36 °C) and CO2 (750 ± 25 ppm). Between CO2 and temperature, the majority of differences observed were driven by CO2 levels. Palmer amaranth grown under 750 ppm of CO2 was 15.5% taller, displayed 10% more leaf area (cm2), 18% more stem dry matter, and had a 28.4% increase in volume (m3) compared to 410 ppm of CO2. GA2017 and GA2020 were 18% and 15.5% shorter, respectively. The number of leaves was 27% greater for GA2005. Plant volume decreased in GA2017 (35.6%) and GA2020 (23.8%). The shoot-to-root ratio was isomeric, except at 14 and 21 DAT, where an allometric growth towards shoot development was significant. Palmer amaranth biotypes responded differently to elevated CO2, and the impacts of temperature need further investigation on weed physiology. Thus, environmental and genetic background may affect the response of glyphosate-resistant and susceptible populations to climate change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana de Souza Rodrigues
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, 2360 Rainwater Road, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA.
| | - Donn Shilling
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, 120 Carlton Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Viktor Tishchenko
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA, 30223, USA
| | - Samantha Bowen
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, 2360 Rainwater Road, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA
| | - Shiyuan Deng
- Department of Statistics, University of Georgia, 310 Herty Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Daniel B Hall
- Department of Statistics, University of Georgia, 310 Herty Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Timothy L Grey
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, 2360 Rainwater Road, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA
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4
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Comont D, MacGregor DR, Crook L, Hull R, Nguyen L, Freckleton RP, Childs DZ, Neve P. Dissecting weed adaptation: Fitness and trait correlations in herbicide-resistant Alopecurus myosuroides. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2022; 78:3039-3050. [PMID: 35437938 PMCID: PMC9324217 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unravelling the genetic architecture of non-target-site resistance (NTSR) traits in weed populations can inform questions about the inheritance, trade-offs and fitness costs associated with these traits. Classical quantitative genetics approaches allow study of the genetic architecture of polygenic traits even where the genetic basis of adaptation remains unknown. These approaches have the potential to overcome some of the limitations of previous studies into the genetics and fitness of NTSR. RESULTS Using a quantitative genetic analysis of 400 pedigreed Alopecurus myosuroides seed families from nine field-collected populations, we found strong heritability for resistance to the acetolactate synthase and acetyl CoA carboxylase inhibitors (h2 = 0.731 and 0.938, respectively), and evidence for shared additive genetic variance for resistance to these two different herbicide modes of action, rg = 0.34 (survival), 0.38 (biomass). We find no evidence for genetic correlations between life-history traits and herbicide resistance, indicating that resistance to these two modes of action is not associated with large fitness costs in blackgrass. We do, however, demonstrate that phenotypic variation in plant flowering characteristics is heritable, h2 = 0.213 (flower height), 0.529 (flower head number), 0.449 (time to flowering) and 0.372 (time to seed shed), demonstrating the potential for adaptation to other nonchemical management practices (e.g. mowing of flowering heads) now being adopted for blackgrass control. CONCLUSION These results highlight that quantitative genetics can provide important insight into the inheritance and genetic architecture of NTSR, and can be used alongside emerging molecular techniques to better understand the evolutionary and fitness landscape of herbicide resistance. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Comont
- Department of Biointeractions and Crop ProtectionRothamsted Research, HarpendenHertfordshireUK
| | - Dana R MacGregor
- Department of Biointeractions and Crop ProtectionRothamsted Research, HarpendenHertfordshireUK
- Department of BiosciencesUniversity of DurhamDurhamUK
| | - Laura Crook
- Department of Biointeractions and Crop ProtectionRothamsted Research, HarpendenHertfordshireUK
| | - Richard Hull
- Department of Biointeractions and Crop ProtectionRothamsted Research, HarpendenHertfordshireUK
| | - Lieselot Nguyen
- Department of Biointeractions and Crop ProtectionRothamsted Research, HarpendenHertfordshireUK
| | - Robert P Freckleton
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSouth YorkshireUK
| | - Dylan Z Childs
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSouth YorkshireUK
| | - Paul Neve
- Department of Biointeractions and Crop ProtectionRothamsted Research, HarpendenHertfordshireUK
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Section for Crop SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenTaastrupDenmark
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5
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Intra- and interspecies competition of blackgrass and wheat in the context of herbicidal resistance and environmental conditions in Poland. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8720. [PMID: 35610348 PMCID: PMC9130282 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12777-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Blackgrass (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds.), one of the most aggressive grass weeds in Europe, is also a strong competitor of crops. This study aimed to assess the impact of environmental conditions on the competition between (1) ACC-ase and ALS herbicide-resistant (BR) and herbicide-susceptible (BS) blackgrass biotypes, (2) BR and winter wheat cv. Arkadia (W), and (3) BS and W. In the replacement series model, the experiment was conducted at seven sites across Poland during two seasons (2018/19 and 2019/20). In the BR-BS experiment, the BS biotype was in majority more competitive toward the BR biotype. However, in the regime of optimal hydrothermal conditions and at a higher sand content in the soil we observed a higher competitiveness of BR towards BS. The combined interactions between W and BR or BS were also affected by environmental conditions, i.e., soil texture and hydrothermal coefficient, as explained by PCA and k-means cluster analysis. At most sites, W was more competitive toward both BS and BR, which could result from earlier emergence of W in relation to B in majority of sites. Except for two cases, located on heavy, clay soils, during humid seasons, where B was more competitive toward W. We summarize that blackgrass competitiveness towards other biotypes and wheat depends to some extent on environmental conditions; however, the phenomenon should be explored in more detail.
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6
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Kreiner JM, Tranel PJ, Weigel D, Stinchcombe JR, Wright SI. The genetic architecture and population genomic signatures of glyphosate resistance in Amaranthus tuberculatus. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:5373-5389. [PMID: 33853196 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Much of what we know about the genetic basis of herbicide resistance has come from detailed investigations of monogenic adaptation at known target-sites, despite the increasingly recognized importance of polygenic resistance. Little work has been done to characterize the broader genomic basis of herbicide resistance, including the number and distribution of genes involved, their effect sizes, allele frequencies and signatures of selection. In this work, we implemented genome-wide association (GWA) and population genomic approaches to examine the genetic architecture of glyphosate (Round-up) resistance in the problematic agricultural weed Amaranthus tuberculatus. A GWA was able to correctly identify the known target-gene but statistically controlling for two causal target-site mechanisms revealed an additional 250 genes across all 16 chromosomes associated with non-target-site resistance (NTSR). The encoded proteins had functions that have been linked to NTSR, the most significant of which is response to chemicals, but also showed pleiotropic roles in reproduction and growth. Compared to an empirical null that accounts for complex population structure, the architecture of NTSR was enriched for large effect sizes and low allele frequencies, suggesting the role of pleiotropic constraints on its evolution. The enrichment of rare alleles also suggested that the genetic architecture of NTSR may be population-specific and heterogeneous across the range. Despite their rarity, we found signals of recent positive selection on NTSR-alleles by both window- and haplotype-based statistics, and an enrichment of amino acid changing variants. In our samples, genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms explain a comparable amount of the total variation in glyphosate resistance to monogenic mechanisms, even in a collection of individuals where 80% of resistant individuals have large-effect TSR mutations, indicating an underappreciated polygenic contribution to the evolution of herbicide resistance in weed populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Kreiner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Patrick J Tranel
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Detlef Weigel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - John R Stinchcombe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Koffler Scientific Reserve, University of Toronto, King City, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen I Wright
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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7
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Buzdin AV, Patrushev MV, Sverdlov ED. Will Plant Genome Editing Play a Decisive Role in "Quantum-Leap" Improvements in Crop Yield to Feed an Increasing Global Human Population? PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:1667. [PMID: 34451712 PMCID: PMC8398637 DOI: 10.3390/plants10081667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Growing scientific evidence demonstrates unprecedented planetary-scale human impacts on the Earth's system with a predicted threat to the existence of the terrestrial biosphere due to population increase, resource depletion, and pollution. Food systems account for 21-34% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Over the past half-century, water and land-use changes have significantly impacted ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity, and climate. At the same time, food production is falling behind consumption, and global grain reserves are shrinking. Some predictions suggest that crop yields must approximately double by 2050 to adequately feed an increasing global population without a large expansion of crop area. To achieve this, "quantum-leap" improvements in crop cultivar productivity are needed within very narrow planetary boundaries of permissible environmental perturbations. Strategies for such a "quantum-leap" include mutation breeding and genetic engineering of known crop genome sequences. Synthetic biology makes it possible to synthesize DNA fragments of any desired sequence, and modern bioinformatics tools may hopefully provide an efficient way to identify targets for directed modification of selected genes responsible for known important agronomic traits. CRISPR/Cas9 is a new technology for incorporating seamless directed modifications into genomes; it is being widely investigated for its potential to enhance the efficiency of crop production. We consider the optimism associated with the new genetic technologies in terms of the complexity of most agronomic traits, especially crop yield potential (Yp) limits. We also discuss the possible directions of overcoming these limits and alternative ways of providing humanity with food without transgressing planetary boundaries. In conclusion, we support the long-debated idea that new technologies are unlikely to provide a rapidly growing population with significantly increased crop yield. Instead, we suggest that delicately balanced humane measures to limit its growth and the amount of food consumed per capita are highly desirable for the foreseeable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton V Buzdin
- The Laboratory of Clinical and Genomic Bioinformatics, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701 Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Maxim V Patrushev
- Kurchatov Center for Genome Research, National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, 123182 Moscow, Russia
| | - Eugene D Sverdlov
- Kurchatov Center for Genome Research, National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, 123182 Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, 123182 Moscow, Russia
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8
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Leon RG, Dunne JC, Gould F. The role of population and quantitative genetics and modern sequencing technologies to understand evolved herbicide resistance and weed fitness. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2021; 77:12-21. [PMID: 32633005 PMCID: PMC7754128 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Evolution of resistance to multiple herbicides with different sites of action and of nontarget site resistance (NTSR) often involves multiple genes. Thus, single-gene analyses, typical in studies of target site resistance, are not sufficient for understanding the genetic architecture and dynamics of NTSR and multiple resistance. The genetics of weed adaptation to varied agricultural environments is also generally expected to be polygenic. Recent advances in whole-genome sequencing as well as bioinformatic and statistical tools have made it possible to use population and quantitative genetics methods to expand our understanding of how resistance and other traits important for weed adaptation are genetically controlled at the individual and population levels, and to predict responses to selection pressure by herbicides and other environmental factors. The use of tools such as quantitative trait loci mapping, genome-wide association studies, and genomic prediction will allow pest management scientists to better explain how pests adapt to control tools and how specific genotypes thrive and spread across agroecosystems and other human-disturbed systems. The challenge will be to use this knowledge in developing integrated weed management systems that inhibit broad resistance to current and future weed-control methods. © 2020 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramon G Leon
- Department of Crop and Soil SciencesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | - Jeffrey C Dunne
- Department of Crop and Soil SciencesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | - Fred Gould
- Department of Entomology and Plant PathologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
- Genetic Engineering and Society CenterNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
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9
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Iriart V, Baucom RS, Ashman TL. Herbicides as anthropogenic drivers of eco-evo feedbacks in plant communities at the agro-ecological interface. Mol Ecol 2020; 30:5406-5421. [PMID: 32542840 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Herbicides act as human-mediated novel selective agents and community disruptors, yet their full effects on eco-evolutionary dynamics in natural communities have only begun to be appreciated. Here, we synthesize how herbicide exposures can result in dramatic phenotypic and compositional shifts within communities at the agro-ecological interface and how these in turn affect species interactions and drive plant (and plant-associates') evolution in ways that can feedback to continue to affect the ecology and ecosystem functions of these assemblages. We advocate a holistic approach to understanding these dynamics that includes plastic changes and plant community transformations and also extends beyond this single trophic level targeted by herbicides to the effects on nontarget plant-associated organisms and their potential to evolve, thereby embracing the complexity of these real-world systems. We make explicit recommendations for future research to achieve this goal and specifically address impacts of ecology on evolution, evolution on ecology and their feedbacks so that we can gain a more predictive view of the fates of herbicide-impacted communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Iriart
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Regina S Baucom
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Tia-Lynn Ashman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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10
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Varah A, Ahodo K, Coutts SR, Hicks HL, Comont D, Crook L, Hull R, Neve P, Childs DZ, Freckleton RP, Norris K. The costs of human-induced evolution in an agricultural system. NATURE SUSTAINABILITY 2020; 3:63-71. [PMID: 31942455 PMCID: PMC6962049 DOI: 10.1038/s41893-019-0450-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Pesticides have underpinned significant improvements in global food security, albeit with associated environmental costs. Currently, the yield benefits of pesticides are threatened as overuse has led to wide-scale evolution of resistance. Yet despite this threat, there are no large-scale estimates of crop yield losses or economic costs due to resistance. Here, we combine national-scale density and resistance data for the weed Alopecurus myosuroides (black-grass) with crop yield maps and a new economic model to estimate that the annual cost of resistance in England is £0.4bn in lost gross profit (2014 prices), and annual wheat yield loss due to resistance is 0.8 million tonnes. A total loss of herbicide control against black-grass would cost £1bn and 3.4 million tonnes of lost wheat yield annually. Worldwide, there are 253 herbicide-resistant weeds, so the global impact of resistance could be enormous. Our research provides an urgent case for national-scale planning to combat further evolution of resistance, and an incentive for policies focused on increasing yields through more sustainable food-production systems rather than relying so heavily on herbicides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa Varah
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
- All correspondence or requests should be addressed to Dr Alexa Varah,
| | - Kwadjo Ahodo
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Shaun R. Coutts
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
- Lincoln Institute of Agri-Food Technology, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, LN2 2LG, UK
| | - Helen L. Hicks
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus, Southwell, NG25 0QF, UK
| | - David Comont
- Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Laura Crook
- Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Richard Hull
- Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Paul Neve
- Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Dylan Z. Childs
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Robert P. Freckleton
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Ken Norris
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
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11
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Fitness of Herbicide-Resistant Weeds: Current Knowledge and Implications for Management. PLANTS 2019; 8:plants8110469. [PMID: 31683943 PMCID: PMC6918315 DOI: 10.3390/plants8110469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Herbicide resistance is the ultimate evidence of the extraordinary capacity of weeds to evolve under stressful conditions. Despite the extraordinary plant fitness advantage endowed by herbicide resistance mutations in agroecosystems under herbicide selection, resistance mutations are predicted to exhibit an adaptation cost (i.e., fitness cost), relative to the susceptible wild-type, in herbicide untreated conditions. Fitness costs associated with herbicide resistance mutations are not universal and their expression depends on the particular mutation, genetic background, dominance of the fitness cost, and environmental conditions. The detrimental effects of herbicide resistance mutations on plant fitness may arise as a direct impact on fitness-related traits and/or coevolution with changes in other life history traits that ultimately may lead to fitness costs under particular ecological conditions. This brings the idea that a “lower adaptive value” of herbicide resistance mutations represents an opportunity for the design of resistance management practices that could minimize the evolution of herbicide resistance. It is evident that the challenge for weed management practices aiming to control, minimize, or even reverse the frequency of resistance mutations in the agricultural landscape is to “create” those agroecological conditions that could expose, exploit, and exacerbate those life history and/or fitness traits affecting the evolution of herbicide resistance mutations. Ideally, resistance management should implement a wide range of cultural practices leading to environmentally mediated fitness costs associated with herbicide resistance mutations.
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