Herbicide-resistant (R biotype) and -sensitive (S biotype) individuals were identified from the same population, and seed was increased for each biotype for three generations. We conducted laboratory experiments to determine the effects of temperature, light, salt stress, osmotic stress, pH, and burial depth on the germination and emergence of resistant and sensitive biotypes of Japanese foxtail. The results revealed that there was no difference in the final germination rate between the two biotypes under different temperature conditions, but time to obtain 50% germination or emergence (tE50) and mean germination time of the R biotype were higher than that of the S biotype at 10 C and 15/10 C 12-h day/night regime. In dark conditions, the final germination rate of the S biotype was higher and lower than that of the R biotype at 10 and 25 C, respectively. The overall germination rate of the R biotype was lower than that in the S biotype, and extended germination time was required in extreme conditions, such as 250 mM NaCl and −0.4 MPa osmotic potential. The change in environmental pH had no effect on the germination of the two biotypes. Emergence of the R biotype was lower than the S biotype when seed was buried at least 8 cm deep in an organic matter substrate. This study demonstrated the pleiotropic effects of a resistance allele on seed germination and emergence under different environmental conditions. Deep tillage could be used to reduce the growth and spread of resistant Japanese foxtail individuals.

Japanese foxtail is one of the most common and competitive annual grass weeds of wheat in China. Whole-plant dose-response experiments were conducted with fenoxaprop and pinoxaden to confirm and characterize resistant and susceptible Japanese foxtail populations and to elucidate the basis of resistance to these herbicides. The resistant Japanese foxtail population was 49-fold resistant to fenoxaprop and 16-fold (cross) resistant to pinoxaden relative to the susceptible population, which was susceptible to both fenoxaprop and pinoxaden herbicides. Molecular analysis of resistance confirmed that the Ile1781 to Leu mutation in the resistant population conferred resistance to both fenoxaprop and pinoxaden. This is the first report of cross resistance of Japanese foxtail to pinoxaden in the world and of a target site mutation that corresponded to resistance to both fenoxaprop and pinoxaden in Japanese foxtail. Prior selection pressure from fenoxaprop could result in evolution of resistance to fenoxaprop and cross resistance to pinoxaden in Japanese foxtail population.

The objective of this study was to investigate the resistance level of Japanese foxtail to haloxyfop, an acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase; EC 6.4.1.2)–inhibiting herbicide. Eleven biotypes were collected from oilseed rape fields in different areas in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces where haloxyfop had been continuously applied for various periods. Biotypes were assessed by two different methods, a seed bioassay and whole-plant assay, to identify the most resistant and susceptible biotypes for further studies on the activity of the target enzyme ACCase. A good correlation was obtained between the two different bioassay methods. The Jurong and Chuzhou biotypes were the most resistant and susceptible biotypes, respectively, whereas the other nine biotypes showed variable and relatively low degrees of haloxyfop resistance. Furthermore, target-site enzyme sensitivity results confirmed that the Jurong biotype was resistant to haloxyfop with a concentration of herbicide causing 50% inhibition of ACCase activity (IC50) of 9.19 µM, whereas the IC50 of the susceptible biotype (Chuzhou) was 0.76 µM, giving a resistance index of 12.