Differential response to glyphosate in Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) populations from Mississippi

Two Italian ryegrass populations from Mississippi, Tribbett and Fratesi, were suspected to be tolerant to glyphosate. A third population from Mississippi, Elizabeth, known to be susceptible to glyphosate, was included for comparison. Plants were treated with the isopropylamine salt of glyphosate at 0, 0.11, 0.21, 0.42, 0.84, 1.68, 3.36, and 6.72 kg ae/ha. GR(50) (herbicide dose required to cause a 50% reduction in plant growth) values for the Tribbett, Fratesi, and Elizabeth populations were 0.66, 0.66, and 0.22 kg/ha, respectively, indicating that the Tribbett and Fratesi populations were threefold more tolerant to glyphosate compared with the Elizabeth population. These three populations were also treated with diclofop at 0, 0.13, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, and 2 kg ai/ha. Diclofop GR(50) values for the Tribbett, Fratesi, and Elizabeth populations were 0.25, 0.28, 0.21 kg/ha, respectively, indicating similar tolerance to diclofop in the three populations. Response of all three populations to clethodim rate (0, 0.02, 0.03, 0.05, 0.06, 0.08, 0.09, and 0.13 kg ai/ha) was measured. Clethodim GR(50) values for the Tribbett, Fratesi, and Elizabeth populations at the small growth stages were 0.016, 0.023, 0.014 kg/ha, respectively, and at the large growth stage were 0.04, 0.034, 0.02 kg/ha, respectively.