A look at the phenomenon of weed resistance to herbicides; from theory to exploitation

Although the problem of water scarcity has prevented the increase of area under cultivation, the population growth has led to an increase in production demand. On the other hand, a phenomenon called "resistant weed" has caused concern about the diminished chemical control and consequently reduced production. The evolution and widespread distribution of herbicide-resistant weeds and their management is a challenge for crop producers and land managers. This issue requires more attention to the problem of resistance. In 2011, 372 species of herbicide-resistant biotypes were confirmed globally, reaching 479 species in 2017. By having 7 and 5 biotypes resistant to ACCase and ALS groups, Iran is respectively the 4th and 10th riskiest countries of the world. Today, the most important causes of increasing resistant biotypes in our country can be considered as special attention to the sulfonylureas family of herbicides (ALS), lack of proper training to inform farmers about the consequences of spreading of herbicide-resistant plants and their management practices. In this regard, the first and most important step in the management of herbicide-resistant plants is identification and confirmation of the resistant species. One of the most important aspects of this action is the lack of imposing surplus costs on farmers, providing appropriate management strategies to prevent the emergence and spreading of resistant weeds, and also benefiting from this natural strategy for the production of herbicide resistant plants in the future.