LAUSR

BACKGROUND The effect of plant size (seedlings versus young plants versus adult plants) on the phenotypic level of glyphosate resistance and selection intensity (SI) in Sorghum halepense with and without a reduced glyphosate translocation resistance mechanism was evaluated. RESULTS Resistance parameters [the 50% lethal dose (LD50 ) and the dose required to cause a 50% reduction in plant growth (GR50 )] in adult plants were notably higher than in seedlings regardless of the resistance status. However, under similar plant size increases, populations comprised of glyphosate-resistant (R) individuals showed higher survival and growth when glyphosate treated compared with glyphosate-susceptible (S) plants. An increase in SI was always evident with increasing glyphosate doses. However, the rate of increase in SI was higher under glyphosate selection of young R and S plants, followed by seedlings and adult R and S plants. However, in conditions of R seedlings coexisting with adult S plants under glyphosate treatment (1000-4000 g ha-1 ), selection against glyphosate resistance was observed. CONCLUSION Any increase in size from the seedling stage of R plants translates into an amplification of resistance. Depending on the particular size combinations of spatially coexisting R and S plants, selection for glyphosate resistance may be faster, slower or even not evident. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.