Rigid ryegrass, an important annual weed species in cropping regions of
southern Australia, has evolved resistance to 11 major groups of herbicides.
Dose–response studies were conducted to determine response of three
clethodim-resistant populations and one clethodim-susceptible population of
rigid ryegrass to three different frost treatments (−2 C).
Clethodim-resistant and -susceptible plants were exposed to frost in a frost
chamber from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 A.M. for three nights before or after
clethodim application and were compared with plants not exposed to frost. A
reduction in the level of clethodim efficacy was observed in resistant
populations when plants were exposed to frost for three nights before or
after clethodim application. In the highly resistant populations, the
survival percentage and LD50 were higher when plants were exposed
to frost before clethodim application compared with frost after clethodim
application. However, frost treatment did not influence clethodim efficacy
of the susceptible population. Sequencing of the acetyl coenzyme A
carboxylase (ACCase) gene of the three resistant populations identified
three known mutations at positions 1781, 2041, and 2078. However, most
individuals in the highly resistant populations did not contain any known
mutation in ACCase, suggesting the resistance mechanism was a nontarget
site. The effect of frost on clethodim efficacy in resistant plants may be
an outcome of the interaction between frost and the clethodim resistance
mechanism(s) present.