Scientists discover how insecticides reverse herbicide resistance.

Scientists investigating ways to delay pre-emergent herbicide resistance within agricultural weeds have discovered applying an insecticide can reverse some types of resistance. The discovery is being welcomed by grain growers who are battling a number of weeds with growing amounts of resistance to chemical controls. In Western Australia this is often annual ryegrass. Research fellow at the University of Western Australia and researcher at the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI) Roberto Busi said the finding was a significant step forward. He said his work had shown that it was possible to reverse metabolic resistance to trifluralin in annual ryegrass using the organo-phosphate insecticide phorate. Metabolic resistance is a defense mechanism plants can have which they use to protect themselves against herbicide toxicity. continue