Detecting ALS and ACCase herbicide tolerant accession of Echinochloa oryzoides (Ard.) Fritsch. in rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields

• Some Echinochloa oryzoides accessions are difficult to control in rice in Turkey.
• A novel statistical method separated herbicide sensitive and tolerant accessions.
• Tolerant accessions were from Marmara region with rice growing without rotations.

Inconsistent control of Echinochloa oryzoides has been reported repeatedly by farmers in the major rice growing area of Turkey. Greenhouse studies confirmed the existence of cross and multiple herbicide tolerance of E. oryzoides accessions including acetolactate synthase (penoxsulam, bispyribac-sodium) and acetyl CoA carboxylase (cyhalofob-butyl) inhibiting herbicides. Comparison of 95% lower confidence intervals of ED90 derived from log-logistic dose–response curves, and twice the recommended field rates of the herbicides showed some, but not distinct separation of susceptible and tolerant accessions. We used a novel method to separate heterogeneous data without a priori knowledge of grouping into more than one group. On the basis of the distribution of ED90 it was possible to identify two distinct groups of the 172 accessions tested, 78% were not controlled by ALS inhibitors (penoxsulam, and bispyribac-sodium) at recommended field rates; and 38% were not controlled by the ACCase Inhibitor (cyhalofob-butyl) at twice the field rates. The effective response level of ED90 resulted in 64 and 14 tolerant accessions to ALS and ACCase, respectively. Fourteen accessions showed multiple resistances to ALS and ACCase Inhibitors.Some of the accessions were strongly tolerant to both herbicide modes of action and had 100% survival even at 6 times the recommended rates. Most of these tolerant accessions were from Marmara region, predominantly in Edirne and Balıkesir, which are the regions without any crop rotation.